Walkabout
by Silver1
Summary: Davis overhears the others talking about him, and doesn't like what he hears. This is the start of a life-changing journey for him.
1. Day 1

Walkabout

Day 1: Lost

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own rights to any of the Digimon characters or creatures. All characters are copyright of Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei Animation, TM, and Bandai.*

Author's note: I'll be using the American names. This story takes place shortly after episode 23, "The Digivice Infected with Darkness." This episode has not yet been shown in America, so I'll summarize the situation. Ken has given up the title of the Digimon Emperor, and is living at home while trying to regain control of his emotions. Wormmon is currently helping Ken deal with the changes in his life.

Even though they defeated Chimeramon and the Emperor, Davis and the others are still going to the Digital World in order to help the Digimon rebuild their homeland from the Emperor's attacks. During this time, Davis actually managed to get Veemon to achieve his Champion form, XVmon.

I'd like to thank "Matt's Digimon Page" for giving me the background information for the stories. Please visit them at http://www.geocities.com/ahical/.

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"A true friend stabs you in the front."

– Oscar Wilde

Davis Motomiya walked strode down the hallway of his school, taking a leisurely pace towards the computer room. He was brimming with excitement. Spring break started the day after tomorrow, and he was going with the others to check out the Digital World. 

Davis secretly hoped that he and Kari would work together in one area. That way, he'd get to show her how cool he really was. And there wouldn't be any TK to get in his way. That would be perfect! Besides, Davis was feeling even more confident since Veemon had attained Champion form. True, XVmon wasn't an angel-type Digimon like Angemon or Angewoman, but he was still cool none-the-less. That had to have shown Kari just how good a trainer Davis was.

Davis reached the computer lab room and saw that the door was closed. He was a little late, but he was sure that others would be inside waiting for him. He reached for the handle when he heard voices talking inside.

"He's late again." That was Cody.

Yolei's voice came next, "He's always late." Davis felt a little annoyed with that remark. He continued to listen.

"You mean like how we're always late?" Davis held back a snigger at Poromon's remark.

"Quiet." Yolei growled.

"He's probably just finishing soccer practice," There was TK. "Heh, we'll probably hear about it, whether we want to or not." Davis could feel the blood rush to his face. Where did TJ, -er, TK get off saying that?

Kari's voice finally perked up, "Yeah. We'll probably hear about his 'amazing goals' and 'how he was the best player on the team.' He he." Davis' face fell. Kari was laughing at him?

Cody said, "He's been even more arrogant since Veemon digivolved." Everyone groaned in agreement. Davis couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were all making fun of him! Behind his back!

Kari sighed, "He thinks he's the king of the world just because Veemon digivolved. The only reason Veemon digivolved in the first place was to save Davis. I'm beginning to get really tired of his showing off."

TK said, "I still remember when he didn't even know what a Champion was. You should have seen his face when Patamon digivolved to Angemon. His jaw hit the floor. Ha ha!"

Patamon spoke up, "I can't help it if I'm impressive." Both Digimon and digidestined started laughing.

Kari said, "Remember how scared he was when all those Numemon came out of a vending machine? Now there was a funny face!" 

Gatomon said, "And how scared he was when he first saw Patamon and myself? Now that was funny!" Davis' hand fell away from the handle. How could they laugh about that? Did they think that he was just some kind of a living joke? Davis felt his eyes begin to burn. 

TK said, "I wonder what would happen if Davis saw Angemon digivolved into MagnaAngemon."

Kari laughed even harder, "I don't know, but I'd be sure to get a shot of his face when it happened." Davis staggered back from the door. Angemon could digivolve into an Ultimate? Did that mean that Kari wasn't impressed with what Davis had done? Where none of them impressed?

"Davis," Demiveemon spoke from inside Davis' backpack. "Aren't we going in?" Davis jumped, he'd forgotten that his Digimon partner was still in his backpack. The laughter inside the computer room stopped. 

"Hey," Yolei asked in a tone, "Did you hear that?" Davis quickly dodged around the corner and out of sight. He heard the door open. Yolei's reflection could be seen in the windows lining the opposite wall.. She looked up and down the hall, shrugged, then went back inside. "Guess it was nothing. I'm tired of waiting for Davis. Let's go already!" The other agreed that Davis would just have to catch up. There was a flash of light outlining the closed door, then nothing. That was it, the others had left for the Digital World.

Davis walked down the hall as if he were only half-awake. He didn't know where he was going or what he was doing. All he could think about was the sound of the others' laughter. How could they make fun of him like that? How could Kari laugh at him like that? He thought they were his friends, but friends don't laugh at you when your back is turned. 

********

Davis continued to walk in his half-aware state until he reached the soccer field. Practice was over, but one soccer ball had been left behind. Davis set down his backpack on a bench and started maneuvering the ball toward the nearest goal. Demiveemon wedged his way out of Davis' bag. "Davis? Aren't we going to the Digital World?"

"No." Davis answered, "Not today."

Demiveemon tilted his head to one side, "Why not?" 

Davis looked at the tiny Digimon. "Why not? Didn't you hear what they were saying?"

Demiveemon shook his head. "No, I being smothered by your sweaty gym clothes. Pee-ewe!"

Davis sighed, "They were laughing at me, Demiveemon. They were laughing at all the times I've been in a stupid situation!" 

Demiveemon winced at the anger in Davis' voice. "Um... Davis, they've laughed at you before. Why is this time so bad?"

Davis threw his hands up and brought them down to his sides, "BECAUSE! When they laughed at me before it was right in front of me, when something stupid happened to me. This time they were laughing behind my back. They didn't even think that I could hear them!" Davis kicked the ball with all his strength. It bounced off the goal poster and hit him in the head. Davis fell flat on his back. For a moment he lay dazed, staring up at the evening sky. There were so many shades of orange and red. For some reason, he felt a little better just admiring the view.

"DAVIS!" Demiveemon run up to Davis' side. "Davis, are you okay?"

"...Yeah..." Davis just looked at the sky. So pretty...

"Hey, Davis!" Davis sat up to see Tai Kamiya walking towards him. Davis could see a big smile on Tai's face. Davis guessed that Tai wasn't worried about Davis being hurt. _I probably end up on my butt more times than I realize_, Davis thought gloomily. 

"Hi, Tai." Davis got to his feet. 

"You okay?" Tai strode up and kicked the ball to Davis. That was Tai's "let's play" challenge. Davis stopped it, but didn't make a move. Davis could see that Tai was taken aback, Davis never turned down a challenge. "Davis? What's wrong?"

Davis sighed, "Tai, have you ever felt like everyone was laughing at you?"

Tai blinked, "Laughing at me? What do you mean?"

"I mean, have you ever felt like people were making fun of you behind your back?"

Tai shook his head. "No. Not really... Has someone been making fun of you?"

Davis wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure how. This was Kari's brother that he was talking to. "No... Just curious. C'mon, Demiveemon." Davis picked up his backpack and stuffed his partner inside. "I'll see you later, Tai."

"Uh... s-sure." For once, Tai was at a loss for words. Davis walked off at a slightly fast pace. He felt bad for hiding things from his idol, but Davis just couldn't talk to anyone. He couldn't explain how he felt right now. He'd always thought that the others would look up to him if he could do something special, something important. Hadn't he been the first one to get his Digimon to armor digivolve? He'd saved Kari's life by doing that! He was the one who had fought the Digimon Emperor hand-to-hand! He'd also been the first to achieve the second armor digivolve form, and had saved Tai's Agumon in the process! Veemon one of only two Digimon that could gold digivolve! So why was it that in the end Davis was always the butt of every single joke?

They were jealous, especially TK. That had to be the reason. They were simply jealous about all that Davis had managed to do. That was the only possible explanation. Davis finally reached his home. His sister, June, was inside watching TV. "Hey, Jun. I'm home."

Jun turned around on the sofa. "Hey, Davis. How was your day?"

"Fine." _Not that you care_. Davis mentally growled.

"Mom and Dad will be working late tonight, again. Dinner's in the fridge. I already had some." Jun turned around and resumed watching TV. As usual, it was a show featuring cute guys whose brains were probably smaller than pebbles. Davis walked into his room and closed the door. He tossed his bag on the floor, only to hear a loud grunt from Demiveemon inside. 

"Sorry." Davis flopped down on his bed. Davis' parents were always working late, and Jun barely gave him a second thought. TK and Kari didn't realize how lucky they were to have older siblings that cared about them so much. Jun was always running around after cute guys, especially TK's brother, Matt. She'd always ditched Davis to hang with some "hunk." 

These thoughts just added to Davis' sour mood, and his disliking of TK. _Big shot's got all he could want. He's on the basketball team, all the girls are crazy for him, and he can move in on Kari whenever he wants. The others always listen to what he says, but they never agree with me. And he's got the 'all-powerful Angemon' for a partner_. "I hate him." Davis hissed.

Demiveemon was currently dislodging himself from Davis' backpack. "Davis, are your really okay? You've been mad all afternoon."

Davis rolled over, turning his back to Demiveemon in the process. "I'm fine. Leave me alone."

Demiveemon sounded hurt. "O-okay..." He sulked towards a corner.

Davis shook his head. Why was he taking his frustration out on Demiveemon? What was wrong with him? "Demiveemon, wait. I'm sorry." Demiveemon turned around with a bright expression on his face. Davis continued, "I'm just mad at the others for what they said this afternoon. It's like I'm nothing but comic relief to them. They don't respect me."

Demiveemon shook his head, "But they do respect you. They're your friends. Why don't you just talk to them tomorrow and ask about what they were doing?"

Davis snorted, "Yeah, right. 'Hi guys. Listen, I was eves-dropping on you yesterday, and I want to know why you think I'm a complete and total loser."

Demiveemon winced, "I was just asking."

Davis sighed. He'd done it again. He'd taking everything out on Demiveemon. Davis was feeling alone and confused right now. Not a friend in the world, except for Demiveemon, and right now Davis was endangering that friendship as well. He just couldn't figure out what to do.

Davis had a quick dinner, then did his homework. He was angry and confused the whole way through. For the first time in his life, Davis was glad when bedtime arrived. Before he got into bed, Davis looked out his window. The night sky was filled with stars. Although he could never explain it, Davis felt just a little better about life whenever he looked at the scenery. It just seemed to calm him a little. 

Climbing into bed, Davis' mind turned back to the events of the day. At first he had thought that everyone was just jealous of him because of what he had done. But the way he had been treating Demiveemon was inexcusable. Maybe he had the problem, not the others. 

_What's wrong with me..?_

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Well, that's it for Day 1. Liked it? Hated it? Would rather wrap fish in the story rather than read it again? Please send all comments to TGC4860@aol.com. 

Where will Davis' questions lead him? You'll have to wait for Day 2.


	2. Day 2

Walkabout

Day 2: Departure

by Silver

*Same disclaimer as before. I don't own any rights to any of the Digimon characters or creatures.*

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"Those who contemplate the beauty of nature will find

reservoirs of strength that will endure as long as life 

lasts."

-Anonymous 

School was dragging on slower than usual. Normally, Davis would have attributed his lack of concentration to the fact that a week long Spring Break started in a few hours, but that wasn't the only reason. Davis had spent the whole day dodging all the other digidestined. It wasn't too hard to avoid Yolei or Cody, but it was impossible to stay clear of TK and Kari. Davis had pretty much every single class with them. That meant entering the room last so that they didn't have time to talk to him, and leaving the room in time before they could get his attention. This cat-and-mouse situation had lasted all day, and Davis was exhausted. It was a good thing that Saturday classes only lasted half a day.

Davis trudged back towards his homeroom. One more class, geography, and then it would all be over. Hopefully, he'd be able to think something up over the break before having to see the others again. Although, it was discouraging that he hadn't had any good ideas so far. The only thing that he could think of was punching TK in the jaw and showing him how tough Davis really was. 

"Davis." Davis jumped when he heard his name called. He turned around and saw Kari walking up towards him with a smile on her face. Davis tried to force a smile, but it wouldn't come. For the first time in his life, Davis wasn't happy to see Kari. 

Davis reminded himself to try and act natural. _Go away._ "um... Hi, Kari." 

Kari said, "You didn't join us after school yesterday. Did something happen?"

_You were laughing at me!_ "I got tied up with practice."

Kari frowned, "Tai said that he saw you at the field. He said you were really depressed."

_Being a living joke to your friends will do that to you._ "Naw. It was nothing."

"Are you sure?"

_No._ "Yes."

Kari nodded, but didn't look convinced. "Well, okay. TK's playing a basketball game after school. You want to come?"

_No, I would hate to come._ "Sorry, I gotta get home right after practice." _Now, leave me alone!_ "Hey, we better get to class, or we'll be late."

Kari was taken aback, "Since when are you worried about being on time to class?" But Davis had already spun on his heel and was heading down the hall. _You never come to my practices anymore, not since the game where I played against Ken. But you never miss one of TK's games!_

********

Davis leaned back in his chair. Geography was about halfway through. Kari was on the opposite side of the room, sitting next to TK, of course. The class was going over the terrain of Australia, a place that Davis doubted he would ever visit. 

The professor droned on, "More than half of Australia is a vast wilderness called 'The Outback.' It is a dry, rugged land with only sparse vegetation. The Australian aborigines used this area as a staging ground for their religious practice 'The Walkabout.' This practice involves going out into the Outback in order to attain spiritual visions. Australian culture has adapted this practice into a sort of retreat service for the population." Davis' ears perked up, that sounded kind of interesting.

A student raised his hand, "Why would anyone want to go to such a crummy place like that?"

The teacher smiled, "It's a chance to get away from the daily routine. A person can leave for a time and reflect upon his or her life without any outside distractions. You'd be surprised what you can learn about yourself when you take the time to think."

Davis' eyes lit up. _That's perfect!_

********

"A WHAT?" Demiveemon squealed as Davis packed a heavy backpack. He was loading in toiletries, extra clothing, some spare food, and a sleeping bag. 

"It's called a 'Walkabout,' Demiveemon." Davis didn't even falter in packing. "We're going away for a while. I need some time to think."

Demiveemon was still confused. "Think? About what?"

Davis stopped packing and turned around to face Demiveemon. "Yesterday, after I heard the others, I thought that they were all just jealous of me because of the cool things I had done, especially TK. But... then I started being a jerk to you for no reason, and I began to wonder if there wasn't something wrong with _me_ instead."

Demiveemon asked, "But how will leaving help?!"

Davis replied, "I need to get away in order to think strait. I can't see what's wrong with me while I'm stuck in my daily routine. It's just like my geography teacher said, 'You'd be surprised what you can learn about yourself when you take the time to think.'"

Demiveemon pressed on, "So... where are you going?"

Davis smiled, "WE, not I. _We_ are going to the Digital World!"

"WHAT!!!" Demiveemon looked ready to pass out.

Davis held up his hands to calm his friend down. "Only for a week."

"A WEEK!"

"Yeah. We spend a week in the Digital World, then come right back. I know for a fact that my parents will be working late all next week, and Jun couldn't care less. There's no problem in getting away. I'll just leave a note saying that I've gone on a camping trip with some friends and I forgot to tell them."

Demiveemon was frantic, "But-but, what about your plans to meet with the others? You were going to have a picnic on Tuesday! And you were gonna watch TK play basketball on Thursday! Then we'd go out for ice cream. I really wanna have some ice cream!"

Davis shook his head, "I can't see the others right now. It's too awkward. Besides, when we get back, I'll buy you all the ice cream you can eat."

Demiveemon calmed down, "Even Ewey Gooey Chocolate Swirl?" There was more than a little eagerness in his voice

Davis sighed, Demiveemon would probably clean out his entire allowance. "Yes, even Ewey Gooey Chocolate Swirl."

Demiveemon was giving in, but he was still curious, "What if you don't find the answers you're looking for?"

Davis' shoulders slumped. That was question he hadn't expected. "Demiveemon, do you remember when I got beaned in the head by that soccer ball yesterday? Well, when I was laying there on the ground, I looked at the sky. It was so beautiful with all those colors. It made me feel better just by looking at it. I've always felt good when I admire something like a sunset. Even if I don't find the answers I want on this trip, I'm sure it will make me feel better. I've seen the Digital World before, but we've always been fighting at the time. I've never had a chance to just look at the scenery!"

Demiveemon frowned, "But Tai said that you should never stay in the Digital World for too long. It's a dangerous place."

Davis shook his head, "We're going to have to ignore that warning. Besides, Ken's not the Digimon Emperor anymore, so there are no more big threats in the Digital World. And you'll be with me. If we get into trouble, you can digivolve. You can become Flamedramon, Raidramon , Magnamon, and XVmon. You're a one-Digimon army!" 

Demiveemon blushed a little. "But without Seraphimon and Magnadramon, I' can't gold digivolve!"

Davis shrugged, "That's okay. Chimeramon is gone, so we shouldn't need Magnamon." Davis could see he was persuading the little Digimon. "So, wadda say? It'll be an adventure." 

Demiveemon's ears perked up. "A-an ad-adventure?" Davis knew he had said the magic word. Demiveemon said, "Okay, I'll do it. But you owe me all the ice-cream I can eat!"

"Great." Davis picked Demiveemon up and stuffed him in the backpack. "Let's go."

********

Davis probably made it to the school in record time. It was a very quick and simple walk from his home. The only problem was avoiding gazes from people when they noticed what a large backpack he had on. Davis also had no trouble getting in to the computer lab. The school wasn't closed yet, so Davis walked in and headed strait for the lab. Only a few teachers and janitors were still on hand. None of them noticed Davis enter the lab. 

Davis turned on the power to the one computer that served as a link to the digital world. "Let me out! Let me out! I'm being smothered!" Demiveemon kicked inside of Davis bag. Davis opened the bag and freed his squished friend before anyone heard them. 

"Quiet!" Davis hissed. The computer had finally finished booting up and Davis accessed the Internet browser. Davis accessed the "digi" folder in the favorites menu. No one in the entire school, except for the Digidestined, could access the folder. It only opened when someone had a Digivice on hand. In less than a heartbeat a map of the digital world was displayed on the screen. Now there was only one problem: where to go in the Digiworld? There were thousands of areas that he could instantly teleport to, but what would be a good place to start at? Davis sat at the table and drummed his fingers against his head. Thinking never had been one of his favorite activities. He'd always felt that it was best to act on his instincts. 

"So," asked Demiveemon, "Where are we going?"

"Good question." Davis peered closer to the computer. What place held some special significance to him? Suddenly, the answer hit him like lightning. "I know!" He keyed in the location for a sector of the digital world. Davis held up his D3 Digivice. "Digiport open!" The screen flashed white, and Davis and Demiveemon were sucked into the screen. 

********

Jun Motomiya entered her family's apartment in her usual bright mood. She'd spoken to no less than ten cute guys on the way home! She'd almost gotten to see Matt Ishida, but for some reason he had taken off just as Jun approached him. _Oh well, tomorrows another day_. "Davis! I'm home!" No answer. Jun shrugged, he was probably with friends. 

Just then, Jun noticed the paper on the table. It read:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I've gone with some friends on a camping trip. I'll be back 

in a week so don't worry. I'll see you later.

Davis

Jun frowned. This sort of thing might fool Mom and Dad, but Jun knew her little brother. He was lying. She shrugged. Obviously he knew what he was doing, or at least he thought he did. She'd simply keep her ears open and wait to hear if Davis was in trouble. That was all she could do.

********

Davis blinked a few times to get used to his new surroundings. He was standing in a small clearing inside of a forest. He did a few quick checks to make sure that everything was in order. His backpack was still there, and his clothing had changed into his usual Digital World attire. Demiveemon had digivolved into his rookie state, Veemon. Davis smiled, everything was in working order.

"Where are we?" Asked Veemon.

Davis said, "This is the forest near the cave where I found the digiegg of courage."

Veemon smiled, "That's where we first met." 

"Yeah." Davis' voice became distant as he remembered the first day he had entered the digital world, met Veemon, and gotten Veemon to digivolve into Flamedramon. The events of that day had gone by in a confused blur, but in hindsight, Davis remembered everything. He remembered how proud he felt when he had been able to move the digiegg of courage. He had been the only one who could. Tai, Kari, and even the great TK had failed to move the digiegg an inch, but Davis had moved it without any trouble. Davis also remembered how surprised he was when Veemon appeared out of nowhere. He hadn't realized it at the time, but Davis had made a friend for life.

Then, a Monochromon had attacked. Davis' shinning moment had been cut short when everyone had ran for cover. Davis still remembered how hot the Monochromon's Volcanic Strike attack had been. He also remembered the fear in Kari's eyes when the Monochromon had attacked her. That was the instant that Davis had enabled Veemon to armor digivolve. By mustering up all his courage, Davis had saved Kari's life. 

_But that didn't really impress her..._ Davis huffed. Kari had mentioned once or twice that TK had saved her life in a similar way. Davis had been in shock from the news at the time, but it had had something to do with a Digimon called Piedmon and something called a MagnaAngemon. These memories just made Davis feel depressed. No matter how brave he was or how many great adventures he had, it always felt as though Davis was stuck in TK's shadow. _It's not fair! Just because he became a Digidestined before I did, TK gets all the praise!_

Yolei and Cody hadn't been too impressed with Davis' story either. Not that they had bothered to listen in the first place. Yolei had simply cut him off and demanded to be taken to the Digital World. Davis had thought he had had a great moment in his life, but now it felt so useless.

"Davis?" Veemon looked up, "You okay?"

_I won't cry. I'll never cry._ Davis nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay. Davis started walking. Hopefully, he'd find a way to make himself more distinct in the group when all this was over. A sudden shuffling in the woods caught Davis' eye. For a minute, it looked like the trees were moving. "Veemon, did you see that?"

"See what?"

"I thought I saw a tree move..." Davis took a step closer. Nothing unusual. Another step. Still nothing. Davis leaned in close to get a look at the trunk. Suddenly, the tree swiveled around to reveal two big black eyes and a huge black mouth carved into the tree! It reached for him with one of its branched. "VEEMON!" Davis shrieked.

Veemon charged, "V head-butt." The small Digimon jumped into the hear and bashed his skull into the tree's side. The tree shrieked as it toppled to the side. Davis fell and scrambled backwards, terrified by what had just happened. 

"Veemon, what is that thing?" 

"It's a Woodmon! They pretend to be normal trees, but then they grab and steal energy from unsuspecting Digimon." Davis looked around, almost all of the closest trees in the clearing were moving now. Davis and Veemon were surrounded by Woodmon!

"Veemon! Armor Digivolve!" Davis held up his D3, "Digiarmor Energize!" The digiegg of courage appeared in the air.

"Veemon armor digivolve to... Flamedramon. The fire of courage!" The Woodmon stopped advancing and considered their new target. Flamedramon was much intimidating than Veemon. Flames appeared on Flamdramon's spiked armor. "Fire Rocket!" Streaks of fire leaped from his hand towards the surrounding Woodmon. The Woodmon screamed and fled as the fire spread around the circle. They were amazingly fast for such bulky creatures. They had left the clearing in less than a second. 

"Whew. Thanks." Davis stood up. He dusted his rear end off. He felt a little ashamed. Once again, he ended up in the embarrassing situation.

Flamedramon asked, "Still think we'll be safe here?" Flamdramon's armor flashed orange and vanished back into Davis' digiterminal. Veemon replaced Flamedramon.

Davis scowled, "You took care of those Woodmon easy. We'll be fine."

Veemon protested, "But Woodmon are afraid of fire. We might not be so lucky next time."

Davis didn't answer, he just started walking. 

********

The next stop for Davis was the cave where he had found the digiegg. It was small, and buried deep underground. This was where it had all started... Davis sat down on the dirt ground and stared at the tiny mound that had once been the resting-place of the digiegg. The question nagged at his mind. _Where do I go from here?_ Davis had to admit, he didn't have a grand plan for his Walkabout. Then again, Davis never did have a grand plan. He was always just reacting things as they came. He never thought before he leaped into things. He should have known that something was going to happen with that tree when he saw that it was acting funny. But no, he'd simply gotten a closer look, and nearly gotten killed for it. 

"Stupid... stupid." He muttered. He glanced over at Veemon who was busy looking around his old homestead. Why did Davis always have to rely on Veemon to fight for him? Davis didn't want to rely on anyone when he fought. He hadn't relied on anyone for a long time. Not since before his family moved. 

"Davis," Veemon intruded into his thoughts. "Where are we gonna go?"

Davis stood up, time to react. Davis shrugged "Hey, this is a walkabout. Let's just walk." Davis motioned for Veemon to start moving. They exited the cave and continued deeper into the forest. 

It was getting late out. The sun was beginning to set. Davis frowned. Where were they going to sleep? Sleeping out in the open wasn't the best idea. There might be more Woodmon out there. A loud rumbling nearby caught Davis' attention. There might be more than Woodmon out there. "Veemon, you used to leave here. Do you know about any safe places to rest."

"No. But we could just sleep in shifts." Davis was about to reply when another loud rumble sounded. "Veemon," Davis said, "Something's coming."

No sooner had these words left Davis' mouth when a cluster of trees was thrown down, and a huge moving flame moved into view. It took Davis a moment to realize that those flames were colored black, and there was a face hidden in the flames. It was a large metal face, similar to MetalGreymon's, but without spikes. There were also two large metal claws in the middle of the flames. "What is that?"

Veemon answered, "That's a Darklizardmon. He's an evil virus Digimon whose body is entirely covered in black flames. His attacks are Dread Fire and Snipe Fang!"

Darklizardmon leered at Davis and Veemon with a hungry gleam in its eyes. Davis glared back at it. Finally, something he could take his frustration out on. "Digiarmor energize!"

Veemon digivolved into Flamedramon again. "Fire Rocket!" The flame attack screamed in at Darklizamon. The flames impacted against the monster's hide, but were quickly absorbed into the dark flames. Darklizardmon laughed with a deep booming voice. 

Davis said, "You're not even hurting him, Flamedramon! Try something else!"

Flamedramon asked, "Like what?"

"I-I don't know!"

"Davis, let's fall back!"

"No way! I don't run." 

Darklizardmon interrupted, "Dread Fire!" Flames blasted from its hands and engulfed Flamedramon. Davis watched in horror as Flamedramon was knocked to the ground, where he reverted back to Veemon. 

"Veemon!" Davis ran to the Digimon's side, "Are you okay?"

"Ugh. Can we run away now?"

Davis clenched his teeth. "Let's get outta here." He helped Veemon to his feet and ran into the forest. Darklizardmon followed, its steps covering more distance than five of Davis' longest strides. Davis ran blindly down a narrow path through the trees. He didn't dare look back, because he could hear Darklizardmon thundering behind him. Davis and Veemon ran for an eternity, until they reached a dead end. Davis barely saw the drop coming. It was a massive cliff that led to a huge set of canyons. A small part of Davis' mind recognized this area as the place where the Digimon Emperor had held him prisoner until Yolei and Cody had rescued him. Davis looked back, there was no where to go. Darklizardmon had already caught up to Davis and Veemon.

"Dread Fire!" Darklizardmon launched his attack again. Veemon didn't for it to connect, he jumped into Davis and shoved the two of them over the edge. Davis yelled as he and Veemon fell into the dark abyss. 

_We're dead!_

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How does Davis get himself out of this? Will he learn to carve out his own place in the digiteam? Keep watching for Day 3 of Walkabout.

Second Author's note: Darklizardmon is a Digimon from the Digimon card game that I found on the Internet. It was originally called Darklizarmon, but I decided to alter the name a little for American audiences. I'd like to thank Megchan for making the information about Darklizarmon available to me. Of course, since Darklizarmon is owned by the card game, that means that I don't have any rights to it. Megchan's webpage is located at http://www.megchan.com/digimon/.

Please send all compliments, suggestions, and flames to tgc4860@aol.com


	3. Day 3

Walkabout

Day 3: Gennai 

by Silver

*Still the same disclaimer. I don't own Digimon, or any related characters, creatures, or items.*

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"Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid

torch which I have got a hold of for the moment,

and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible

before handing it on to future generations."

-George Bernard Shaw

The beauty of the serene light shinning through trees in the OdaibaCommunity Park was lost on Kari and Tai Kamiya as they ran to meet their friends. The Kamiya kids were already ten minutes late. Tai had asked Kari if they could stop by Davis' home to invite him to come with them on an outing with TK, Matt, and Sora. Tai still felt that Davis needed some cheering up. Kari hadn't liked the idea at first. Davis' attempts to impress her always had a negative effect on the group, though they were a little funny to watch. And she had to admit that, at times, it was a little, just a little, cute. 

Secretly, Kari was worried about Davis. He had acted so strangely on the last school day of the week. He hadn't waited for Kari to talk to him after class, he had left as soon as the bell rang. That was so unlike him.

Kari's uneasiness had grown when Davis' sister had told them that Davis had left on a camping trip. It wasn't like him not to boast about the trip. Nor was it like him to not invite Kari to come along. Something was very wrong. Kari just couldn't figure out what that something was.

**** ****

The dull throb in his head was the first thing that Davis felt, next came the ache in his back. The part of his brain that was currently working recognized this as a sign that he wasn't dead. He opened his eyes slowly. Everything was blurred and mixed. Shades of brown and white flowed back and forth. Davis managed to open his eyes all the way and blinked a few times. His vision cleared, as if he was just breaking the surface of a lake. 

He was in a small room made out of wood. The doors were built in a shoji design, the paper and wood sliding doors often found in old homes in China and Japan. In fact, the entire room looked like an old Japanese home. _Where am I_?

Davis pushed himself off the floor and sat up. It took him a moment to realize that he had a bed-sheet thrown over him, and that he had just been laying on a pillow. The next thing Davis noticed was a loud snore. Veemon was fast asleep right next to Davis. Veemon was also provided with a sheet and pillow. 

The smell of cooked eggs and steak wafted its way into Davis' nose. To his right was a platter of eggs, steak, rice, and orange juice. A secondary platter was laid out before Veemon. It was all freshly made. Davis grabbed greedily for the food. He was starving. In less that a heartbeat, Davis had downed all food and washed it away with the juice. 

Davis turned his attention to his still sleeping partner. "Hey, Veemon, wake-up." He gave his friend a shake on the shoulder. 

Veemon stirred and mumbled, "Five more minutes, please."

Davis smiled. _That's my line_. He walked over to Veemon's food and moved the platter under the Digimon's nose. Veemon sniffed a few times. Then his eyes snapped wide open.

"FOOD!" Veemon snatched the platter and held it directly to his mouth. He devoured the meal even faster than Davis had. Veemon gave the meal his best compliment: a loud belch. 

"Nice." Davis' smile widened, but then quickly disappeared. "Where are we?"

"I dunno." Veemon frowned and looked around. "Nice place though."

"Thank you." Davis and Veemon jumped a foot as a deep voice rumbled behind them. They spun around, half expecting to see a large Digimon. Instead, they found an old man, about as tall as Davis, standing in the doorway. He was leaning on a cane, had white hair tied in a ponytail, and his skin was covered in wrinkles. He was wearing some kind of black robe that cut off at the knees. Military dog tags hung from around his neck. The old man spoke, "Hello there. My name is Gennai. Welcome to my home." 

Davis fumbled for his voice, "Um… hi… I-I'm Davis." 

"V-Veemon… that's me!" Veemon offered a nervous smile.

Gennai returned the smile, "You two are quite fortunate. I was in your area when Darklizardmon knocked you off that cliff."

Veemon rubbed the back of his head, "Um, actually, I knocked us off the cliff. It was either jump or be fried."

Gennai grunted, "Not much of a choice."

Davis nodded, "No kidding."

Gennai said, "Anyway, I saw you fall and I caught you. I brought you to my home. You've been asleep since I brought you here."

Davis bowed, "Thank you very much for saving us, sir." How could this old man have caught both Veemon and Davis?

Gennai stepped back, "If you'll excuse me, the fish need feeding. Please wait here for me to return."

Davis spoke quickly, "Excuse me, sir. Can't we go now? We have to get back on the road." 

Gennai said, "I'd like for you to wait, because I want to know why you are here. Now, if you'll excuse me, the fish are calling."

"Fish?" Davis looked past Gennai, only to see a flock of trout-like fish swimming outside the windows! Davis took a step back and pointed, "T-the fish! T-they're- they're outside!"

Gennai smiled, "Yes, and they're very hungry. I'll only be a moment. Please stay _here_." Davis couldn't help but notice how much emphasis Gennai put on "here." This guy had secrets. Gennai left without another word. 

Davis and Veemon waited for what seemed like forever. They just sat, waiting. Davis' curiosity nagged at him. What was in this house that was so important? Davis stayed in one spot, got up and paced the floor, and finally gave in to his desire. "Veemon, let's look around!"

Veemon replied, "But Mr. Gennai said for us to wait here."

Davis waved the warning away, "Hey, we'll be back before he gets here. C'mon, I just wanna check this place out a little." Davis spun around and ran out the door.

"Davis! Wait!" Veemon ran after his human friend.

********

Gennai half-walked, half-limped back to the room that he had left Veemon and that boy, Davis. Gennai was extremely excited. Finally! A chance to meet one of the new digidestined. Gennai wasn't sure where to begin. How had Davis found the digieggs? How did Veemon attain two different armor digivolutions? What was the status of the Digimon Emperor? All these questions buzzed around inside Gennai's head. They occupied his entire mind until he reached the room where he had left the others.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm not as fast as I used to be." No one was in the room. "Oh no…"

********

So far, Davis couldn't see what Gennai was so worried about. There was nothing suspicious about this house. There were all sorts of rooms, but nothing of any great importance. Maybe the old man was just paranoid. 

There was only one door left in the hall. Davis had nearly missed it because it was located in a corner and was surrounded by darkness. It was the only wooden door in the whole house, and the wall itself was built out of stone. It stood out in complete contrast to the rest of the house. The dark and mysterious atmosphere of the door thrilled Davis a little. Maybe this was where Gennai was keeping all his secrets! 

Davis crept up to the door and touched the handle. He turned it slowly. No alarms sounded, but from the rusty sound of the hinges turning, it was obvious that this door had been here for a long time. It almost seemed as if it had been here before the house itself.

Veemon looked around nervously, "Davis, I don't think we should do this!"

Davis shook his head, "I have to know why this Gennai guy is so secretive. You don't have to come, you know."

Veemon looked at Davis indignantly, "And miss an adventure? Never!"  
Davis laughed, "That's the Veemon I know." Davis flung the door open. A gust of cool damp air greeted him inside. There were a series of stone steps leading downward into blackness. Davis wished he had brought the flashlight from his backpack with him, but there wasn't much time so he could not afford to go back and get it. Davis marched down the stairs, determined not to let the eerie mood deter him. Veemon followed at a slightly slower pace. 

They walked down the steps for at least a minute. Wherever this place led, it was deep underground. When they finally did reach the bottom, it was draped in a veil of darkness. "Veemon, try and find something to light this place up, maybe there's a light switch." Davis began to feel for a wall. He took a few uneasy steps, then his hand rested on something cold. Davis peered into the darkness, and saw a huge metal Digimon! "VEEMON!" Davis jumped back. 

Veemon was by Davis' side in less than a heartbeat. "Davis! You okay?" 

Davis said, "There's a Digimon right in front of us!"  
"Really?" Veemon peered closer. Davis did the same. He was surprised that the Digimon hadn't moved at all. Davis' eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. The Digimon was indeed metal. It had a large square body with flat arms and legs, all of them ending with big metal claws. A red jewel was centered on its body, and a glass dome was on top, where the head normally was. 

Veemon gasped, "It's a Mechanorimon! He's a robotic Digimon. His attacks are twin beam and gyro break."

Davis reached for his D3 and digiterminal, but Veemon stopped him. "It's okay! Mechanorimon don't act unless someone is piloting them. I don't think anyone is in this thing." Veemon hopped up and peered into the Mechanorimon's glass dome. "Nope, nobody's home."

Davis took a deep breath. _Great! I get scared by an oversized toaster, and the first thing I do is cry for Veemon. _Davis clenched his fist. 

Veemon opened the dome and looked at the controls. "Hey, I found his headlights!" He hit a button and two bright lights flashed on. The light of the beams tore through the blackness of the room. Davis looked around. There were desks, papers, old and broken computers, and a lot of charts. 

"Hey, Veemon, try and shed some light on this chart. Veemon moved the Mechanorimon to turn its lights on the wall. Davis analyzed the chart. At the bottom was a small black ball with tiny ears and big yellow eyes. The label beneath it was "Botamon." A red line moved upwards to another Digimon. This Digimon was similarly round, but bigger. It was pink with red eyes. The chart labeled it a "Koromon." The next Digimon was all too familiar. "Agumon! Veemon, this is a chart of Agumon's evolution!" Davis was even more excited. 

Davis continued to follow the line right up to Greymon, but then the line split in two different directions. One line led to the familiar form of MetalGreymon. The other line continued to a SkullGreymon. Davis winced. Even SkullGreymon's picture gave him the creeps. The two branches ended with the next Digimon. MetalGreymon lead up to a smaller, more humanoid version of Greymon, "WarGreymon." The other line lead from SkullGreymon to a question mark. 

"Huh?" Davis frowned, "Guess no one knows what the next stage is after SkullGreymon."

"That's right." A voice boomed, "And you should hope that we never find out!" Davis whirled around. Gennai hobbled into the light. Davis' face fell. He didn't like the look on Gennai's face. "Upstairs." Gennai ordered. "_NOW_!"

********

Davis kept his face tilted towards the ground all the way back to the room where he had woken up. It was clear that Gennai was mad. Davis was confused. Was this guy a Digimon researcher? Why was he so worried about Davis seeing his work? Still, Davis knew better than to ask questions right away. He was in enough trouble as it was.

Veemon and Davis sat down on the floor, across from Gennai. Gennai did not sit, he only stared at Davis. Davis shifted uncomfortably under the older man's gaze. Gennai finally broke the silence, "First of all, you should not have left this room. I specifically told you not to leave!"

Davis said, "I know, but-"

"Secondly!" Gennai snapped, "You should not have gone into that room. There is very dangerous equipment down there. You could have been hurt. I keep that door hidden for a reason." Davis held his tongue. Gennai sighed, "More importantly, I was hoping to introduce myself to you in a proper manner, but now it seems that I'll have to answer all your questions first."

Davis' head jerked up. "You mean you don't mind my asking about that room?"

Gennai calmed down, "You are a Digidestined, you have a right to know what that room is for."

Davis' dark mood lifted. He couldn't wait to find out. "So… what's with all those books and posters in there? Are you a Digimon researcher or something?"

Gennai smiled, "Not exactly. I do study Digimon, but I only study them as a means to an end. I am one of many people who created the crests, tags, and Digivices that Tai and the other Digidestined used."

"Really?" Davis couldn't believe it. This guy had helped to form the Digidestined's tools?

Gennai continued, "Really. I was once a part of an ancient order that maintained the balance between the light and the dark. One day, our readings showed that the darkness was gaining power. This could not be allowed. If the darkness squashed out the light, then everything would be destroyed. Light cannot exist without dark, and vice versa. The absence of one or the other would bring disaster. We created the digivices and crests in order to preserve that balance. Part of that project involved studying the factors involved in digivolving."

"Did you also create the digieggs?" asked Davis.

Gennai shook his head, "No. I don't know where those came from, or how your received your new digivices. That's why I came to see you."

Davis frowned, "To see me?"

"Yes. I have been trying to meet with you new Digidestined for quite some time. The Digimon Emperor blocked all of my transmissions, and I couldn't risk contacting you in person. I was forced to lay low and hope that the Emperor would ignore the 'boring old guy at the bottom of the lake.'"

"Ohhh…" Davis and Veemon echoed each other.

Gennai smiled, "Now that the Emperor has been defeated, I've been waiting for a chance to meet with you. When I detected you and Veemon so close to my home, I set out to meet you. Well, if I've answered all your questions-"

"Wait!" Davis wasn't done yet. "How'd you catch us when we were falling?"  
Gennai asked, "Remember that Mechanorimon downstairs? I piloted that Digimon when I went to meet you. I caught you in mid-air. I guess I wasn't gentle enough because you were both unconscious when I caught you."

Davis averted his eyes to the ground, ashamed of how weak he had been. "Where did you get that thing?"

Gennai's gaze became distant. "One day, an evil Digimon named Piedmon attacked the order's base in order to steal the Digimon eggs and digivices. He killed my comrades and stole the crests and tags. I managed to save the digieggs and digivices by taking a Mechanorimon and escaping in it. I managed to evade capture and left the eggs to hatch on File Island. I then made my way to an information storage base used by the order. I built my house on top of that base and have lived here since."

Davis' eyes brightened, "You store all your information here?"

"Yes. All the data collected on Digimon and digivolving was stored here. The crests, tags, and digivices were created somewhere else."

Davis leaned in towards Gennai, "Could I read that information?"

Gennai arched an eyebrow. "Oh? You wish to learn more about Digimon?"

Davis nodded, "I don't know half as much as Tai or Izzy or TK or Kari. I want to know more."

Gennai considered for a moment. "This is what I propose: I will let you read most of the data within the warehouse, if you let me analyze you D3 and digiterminal. I'm eager to know more about their abilities and about the digieggs contained within."

"Deal!" Davis shook Gennai's hand, then handed his digivice and digiterminal to Gennai. "Veemon, do you want to come with me?"

Gennai said, "I'd also like to interview Veemon as well. I've never had the chance to speak to a mythological Digimon before."

It took Davis a moment to remember that Veemon had just been considered a myth before Davis had freed him. Davis looked at his partner, "Veemon? You okay with that?"

Veemon nodded, "I'm okay. You go ahead." Davis smiled and ran down the hall. Veemon looked at Gennai, "So, wadda wanna know?"

********

It was several hours before Gennai and Veemon finished talking. Gennai had asked all about the fight with the Digimon Emperor, the power of the digieggs, and what the new digidestined team was like. He had also inquired into Veemon's past. As far as Gennai knew, Veemon was the only Digimon of his kind. The same was true for Hawkmon and Armadillomon. Sadly, Veemon didn't have much knowledge as to his past. His life had been a relative blank slate before he had met Davis.

Gennai had his suspicions about this memory lapse, but decided to think about it later. Gennai had spent the next two hours analyzing Davis' D3 and digiterminal. He had had more success learning about those items than he had with Veemon's past. Gennai and Veemon were now on their way to meet Davis. 

"Davis? How's the studying going?" Gennai winced as he reached the bottom of the stairs. One of these days, he'd have to install that escalator he had been putting off for so long. The lights were on inside the room. At least Davis had found the light switch. 

Davis was sitting in a small corner, surrounded by a pile of books. Gennai's eyes bulged at the stack of read books next to Davis. The boy had really plowed through them. Davis' face had a wide-eyed expression as he read. It was more than obvious that he was fascinated by what he was reading.

Davis looked up, "Hey guys!"

Gennai walked up to him. "Wow. You've really hit the books."

Davis smiled, "This is just so cool! I've never known this much about Digimon before! I've learned about hundreds of different types, and all the different stages of digivolving."

Gennai returned the smile, "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. You know, you're the only Digidestined that's had access to these files. The only other time the Digidestined were in my home, they were so busy trying to get home that they didn't even realize this place was down here." He glanced at the next book on the pile of to-be-read books, and his eyes widened. He quickly snatched the book up and took it back to the shelf. 

"Wait," Davis said, "I haven't read that one yet!"

Gennai replied, "I'm sorry, Davis. But this is a report about something that is too dangerous to become common knowledge. Don't worry, it doesn't contain any information that you can't live without."

Davis shrugged and put his book down. "If you say so. What did you find out about my gear?"

Gennai returned Davis' tools to him. "I found some very interesting information about your items. First of all, do you know why you're the only one who can open the digieggs?" Davis shook his head. "Well, I'll tell you. The digieggs are the embodiment of their respective traits, like a stronger version of the crests. Only an equal amount of power can open them. For instance, your digiegg of courage is pure energy, but it is energy attributed to courage. To open it, a human must possess an equal amount of courage energy within him. That's why Tai couldn't open it."

Davis frowned, "Wait. You mean that…"

Gennai nodded. The boy caught on fast. "I mean that your powers are greater than even those of even Tai and Matt. The same is true for Yolei and Cody. Their respective powers are even greater than those of their predecessors. That's why you three are the only ones who could open the eggs."

"And TK and Kari?"

"Their powers are also strong enough to open the eggs. You new digidestined have more power than the older Digidestined." 

Davis eyes drifted towards the ground, "You sure about that?"

Gennai placed a hand on Davis' shoulder. "Veemon told me about your Walkabout. Trust me, you're stronger than you know. The facts don't lie." Davis smiled a little, but he didn't appear convinced. Gennai changed the subject, "It's getting very late. How about some dinner?"

The rumble in Davis' stomach answered for him. Davis and Gennai laughed. "Yeah, dinner would be nice. But then, Veemon and I have to get back on the road." 

Gennai nodded, "I'll get cooking."

********

An hour later, Davis and Veemon were walking away from the lake that housed Gennai's home. Davis took one last look at the house. _I'm stronger than I know?_ Davis had a little trouble believing that. If he was so strong, why did he always need Veemon to come and save him?

Davis caught a glint of blue shoot up from the lake's surface. "What the?" Davis followed a small pinpoint of light across the heavens, until it started streaking down towards him! "Veemon! Look out!" Davis grabbed his Digimon by the arm and started running as fast as he could.

A voice called, "Wait!" Davis looked up. As the blue streak drew closer, it resolved itself into the Mechanorimon from Gennai's information vault. The huge mass of metal touched down with a loud clang. The old man's head poked up from inside the glass dome 

"Gennai?" Davis stepped up to the metal Digimon. "What's wrong?"

Gennai said, "I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to accompany you on your Walkabout. I think it would be interesting to see where you go. And I'm sure that you'll meet some very interesting Digimon. May I join you?"

Veemon smiled, "You're more than welcome to!"

Davis agreed. "Yeah! You can teach me more about Digimon!" A smirk spread across Davis face, "But are you sure that you can keep up?"

Gennai laughed and placed his hand on Mechanorimon, "With this thing? I'll fly circles around you two."

Davis nodded, "Alright then! Let's go!"

As the three of them walked off together into the night, Davis thought, _I may not actually be as strong as Gennai thinks I am, but I'm gonna try and make myself stronger!_

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Whew. That's it for the third day of Walkabout. Davis makes a new friend and learns more about Digimon. Just wait until what he learns about himself in Day 4. Thanks to everyone whose sent in reviews and suggestions. I always appreciate your input!


	4. Day 4

Walkabout 

Day 4: Love and Friendship

by Silver

*Okay, you know the drill. Standard Disclaimer here: I don't own rights to any Digimon characters, places, or creatures. Red tape is just so boring!*

Author's note: Hey all! Sorry it took so long to get another chapter out. This part deals with what I think is one of Davis' biggest problems/concerns, so it's a bit longer than usual. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks again to all the people who've sent in reviews. Please keep letting me know if there is anything that I can improve upon. I should also thank the Famous Quotes Network for helping me find all these quotes for each day.

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"Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop"   
-Anonymous 

Sneaking into the school computer lab hadn't been easy, but Kari and TK had managed to make it in. They had both received a call from Yolei, telling them to meet her at school. It had sounded urgent, so the two of them had grabbed their digi-partners and headed for school right away. Kari had a nagging feeling that this would somehow involve Davis. 

"You okay?" asked TK. "You seem really tense."

Kari thought up a quick lie. "Just worried about getting caught."

TK smiled reassuringly, "It's okay. I'm worried about Davis too."

Kari was taken aback. "You are?"

TK shrugged, "Well, we don't really get along all that much, but he is my friend. Besides, it's just too weird. He's vanished without a trace."

Kari nodded. She was feeling pretty weird herself. Three days ago she had claimed that she was getting tired of Davis and his constant advances on her. Now that he was missing, however, she found herself missing Davis. It was like things were just too quiet without him. Kari could tell that TK felt the same way. TK and Davis fought a lot, but that didn't mean that TK hated Davis. Kari sighed, "Maybe Yolei or Cody will know what happened to him."

TK nodded, "Let's find out." They entered the computer lab. Yolei and Cody were already there with Poromon and Upamon. 

"Hey guys," smiled Yolei, "how's it going?"

"IT'S STUFFY!" A smothered voice called from inside Kari's backpack. Kari opened her pack and let Gatomon out. The Digimon gasped for air, "Ugh… that's better." TK let Patamon out as well. 

TK asked, "What did you need to see us about, Yolei?" 

Yolei handed them a sheet of paper. "Take a look at this e-mail that I got this morning." 

TK took it while Kari read it over his shoulder. It read:

Davis Motomiya is in the Digital World.

TK looked up, "Who sent this?"

Yolei shrugged, "That's just it. There was no return address."

Cody frowned, "Seems pretty suspicious to me."

Kari nodded, "But is it true?"

Yolei tapped in a command to the computer. The map of the Digital World flashed on screen and divided itself into sectors. One sector was blinking bright blue. That was Davis' signal. Yolei said, "That proves it. Davis, for some reason, is in the Digital World."

TK frowned, "How long has he been there?"

Yolei answered, "The last login for the Digital world was two days ago."

"TWO DAYS?" Cody, Kari, and TK were astounded. Kari asked, "What's he thinking? Staying in the Digital World for two whole days!"  
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Gatomon asked.

Kari's put a determined look on her face. "I will. Digiport open!" Kari and Gatomon were sucked into the computer.

"Hey! Wait for me!" TK and Patamon followed.

"Us next!" Cody and Upamon flashed out of sight.

"Ready, Poromon?" Yolei took out her D3.

"You bet!" The pink Digimon flew next to Yolei's side and they vanished into the computer. 

********

Davis yawned. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Sleeping out of doors was a little new to him. Davis, Veemon, and Gennai were back in the forest near Veemon's cave. Davis had insisted on picking up where he had left off. The others had reminded Davis about Darklizardmon, but Davis wouldn't let that stop him. Fortunately, Gennai had put Mechanorimon on sentry duty for the night. The robot Digimon had alerted the group to anything that tried to come near. Sadly, Mechanorimon couldn't distinguish harmless Digimon from dangerous ones. If Davis had a nickel for every Numamon that he had end up scaring away last night…

A high pitched buzz sounded from Davis' D3. He took it from his belt and flicked the screen on. 

"What's wrong?" asked Gennai.

Davis' face fell. Four dots had appeared on the map: a red one, a yellow one, a green one, and a pink one. Yolei, Cody, TK, and Kari had just arrived in the Digital World. "It's the others! They're here!"

"Really?" Veemon smiled, "They must be looking for us."

Davis didn't look happy. "I can't see them. Not now. Not yet!" He started running in the opposite direction from where the Digidestined had appeared. 

"Hey! Wait for us!" Gennai moved the Mechanorimon to follow. Veemon ran after Davis. 

********

"That's funny." Yolei looked closer at her D3. "He's moving away from us."

TK asked, "Why? Doesn't he know we're here?"

Yolei shrugged, "I'm sure his D3 would have alerted him. But I can't understand why he's moving away. Maybe he's holding his D3 upside-down." She giggled.

"Yolei," Cody chided, "This is serious. I think he might be trying to get away from us."

Kari's face fell, "Why would he want to avoid us?" Her face then hardened, "Like I said, I'm going to ask him. Digiarmor energize!" The digiegg of light materialized from Kari's D3. 

"Gatomon armor digivolve to… Nefertimon: the Angel of Light!" Kari mounted the Sphinx-like Digimon and flew off in pursuit of Davis.

Yolei blinked, "That was impulsive."

TK smiled, "Wadda expect? She is Tai's sister. Digiarmor energize!" TK summoned the digiegg of hope.

"Patamon armor digivolve to… Pegasusmon: Flying Hope!" TK followed Kari.

Cody shrugged, "We don't want to get left behind. Digiarmor energize!" 

"Armadillomon armor digivolve to… Digmon: The Drill of Power!" Digmon picked up Cody and ran after the others.

Yolei scowled, "When I get my hands on Davis for making us chase him! Digiarmor energize!" 

"Hawkmon armor digivolve to… Halsemon: The Wings of Love!" 

********

"It's no good!" Davis yelled as he ran, "They're gaining on us!" He couldn't believe that he was actually running away from his friends. They must have armor digivolved. No human could be as fast as they were.

Veemon asked, "You want me to armor digivolve into Raidramon?"

Davis frowned, "Can you really outrun Nefertimon, Pegasusmon, Halsemon, and Digmon?"

Veemon considered for a moment. "I'm way faster than Digmon, and probably as fast as Halsemon, but I don't think I can outrun Nefertimon and Pegasusmon. They're two of the fasted Digimon around!"  
"Great." Davis muttered. He didn't want to face the others until he had time to straiten himself out. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

Gennai spoke up, "Allow me." Mechanorimon, with Gennai in the cockpit, scooped Davis and Veemon up then took to the air at full speed. Davis hung onto one of Mechanorimon's arms with all his might. It was amazing how fast the awkward looking Digimon could go. 

********

Cody frowned as he looked at his D3. Davis was accelerating away at an unbelievable pace. Raidramon couldn't be this fast. Was it possible that he was being carried against his will?

"Digmon!" Cody said to his partner, "Can't you run any faster?"

Digmon responded, "Hey, I'm a driller, not a runner!" Cody sighed. Too bad there wasn't any rivers nearby. Submarimon was a lot faster than Digmon. The other three Digimon were way ahead of Digmon and Cody.

Cody began to analyze the situation. If Davis was in trouble, either he or Veemon would have sent a distress signal. Davis had been in the Digital World for two days, so it would be unlikely for an evil Digimon to be transporting Davis somewhere at the current time. That could only mean that Davis was acting of his own free will. If he was running from the others, and he wasn't being controlled by anything…

"You guys!" Cody yelled to the others. "STOP!"  
The other Digimon halted. "What is it?" asked Halsemon.

Cody said, "We shouldn't chase Davis."

"WHAT?" The other children couldn't believe their ears. 

Cody explained before any more questions came at him. "I think that Davis is acting of his own free will. He's running away from us because he wants to. I think he doesn't want to see us right now. I can't say why he's doing this, but we should respect his feelings and not pursue him."

Kari began to protest, "But-"

TK cut her off, "Kari, Cody's usually right about these things. If Davis doesn't want to see us, then we shouldn't force it on him. I guess he'll explain things when he decides to."

Yolei frowned, "Maybe we should talk to Mimi and the others. They might know what Davis is doing."

There was a long silence. Finally, Kari nodded reluctantly, "Okay, let's go home." The Digimon turned around and head for the nearest portal.

********

"Stop!" Davis shouted to Gennai. Mechanorimon came to a halt in mid-air. Davis' hair had been pushed strait back by the wind; the same was true for Veemon's ears. Both Davis and Veemon were leaning back slightly. Davis double-checked his D3. The other Digidestined's signatures were disappearing. They had gone home. 

Davis slumped down a little. He whispered, "I'm sorry, everyone, but I have to do this on my own."

Gennai broke into Davis' thoughts. "We have a problem here. Mechanorimon is low on power. All that running away wore the poor thing out." As if to reinforce Gennai's statement, the Mechanorimon's engines began to choke. 

Davis was a little annoyed with the problem. "I thought you said this thing could fly circles around me and Veemon!"

Gennai shrugged, "I didn't count on having to run from the Digidestined."

Davis groaned. This was just his luck. "We'd better set down and rest then."

Gennai said, "There's supposed to be a town near here. I think we can walk there. It should be a great place to rest."

Veemon asked "What's the town's name?"

"Meadow Town."

Davis said, "Sounds nice."

Gennai nodded, "It's one of the most pleasant towns in the Digital World. That is, of course, before the Emperor's assault. I don't know what shape it's in now." Gennai landed the Mechanorimon and Davis and Veemon hopped off. 

Davis tried to be optimistic, "Only one way to find out. Let's get moving." 

As they walked, Davis' thoughts turned back to his friends. _I bet the others still don't know that I overheard them on Friday. They must hate me now, because I ran away from them_. Davis sighed and thought about Kari. The thought of Kari hating Davis was enough to make him sick. 

Gennai noticed Davis' expression. "What's got you so down, my friend?"

"Kari…" Davis muttered the word before he even realized what he was talking about. 

Gennai smiled, "Ohhhh…" He was amused to see Davis' face turn a deep red. "So, you have feelings for Ms. Kari."

Davis' shoulders fell. "Yeah. But she likes TK more than me."

Gennai pondered, "I think that is natural. TK and Kari spent a lot of time together during the battle against the Dark Masters. Intense situations can lead to deep friendship between people. That fight also matured both of them to point beyond most people your age. I think they value how well they know each other."

Davis threw his hands up, "But how can I compete with something like that!"  
Gennai said, "Simple. Don't try and compete with TK. Just be yourself." Davis scoffed. Gennai continued, "I'm serious! The true way to win someone's heart is with sincerity."

Davis grumbled, "You want sincerity? Go talk to Yolei or Mimi."

Gennai countered, "But you forget, a Digidestined draws his or her strength from the group as well as from within. You draw the power of courage from TK and Kari and the others as much as you do from yourself."

Davis looked up at Gennai, "I didn't even know that was the case. How could I have forgotten something I don't know?"

Gennai's jaw dropped, "The older kids didn't tell you that? What have they been doing all this time?" He shook his head, "After all they learned, they haven't passed that information on to you."

Davis wanted to keep the conversation on track, "Getting back to the topic at hand, have you ever been in love?"

Gennai smiled, "Why yes. I once fell in love with a wonderful women who was a part of the order. She had the most brilliant mind, and such a dazzling personality."

Davis perked up, "Did you ever ask her out?"

Gennai said, "Yes. But first I tried to gain her attention by impressing her. I would calculate all sorts of complex equations, propose outrageous theories, even work triple overtime during coffee-breaks, all just to get her attention."

"Uh… great." Davis wondered if the old man wasn't losing it. 

Veemon said, "Hey, Davis, that sounds a lot like what you do for Kari."

Davis glared at Veemon. "I don't do math!" But Veemon did have a point. Davis did try to impress Kari, he figured that was the only way he could compete against TK. Davis looked back at Gennai, "So, how did you finally ask her out?"

Gennai sighed, "One day, I saw this woman kiss a fellow member on the cheek. I was heartbroken. After all I had done to impress her, she had chosen someone else. I resolved to at least tell her how I felt before admitting defeat. I arranged to meet her outside the order's headquarters, where no one else could see me make a fool of myself. When she came out, I professed how much I admired her and how sorry I was that I had lost the chance to get to know her better. It all came gushing out in one wild moment of abandonment."

"Wow…" Davis was at a loss for words, "What happened then?"

Gennai turned slightly red, "She kissed _me_ on the cheek, and asked if we could meet again. It turned out that the member she had kissed earlier was an old friend whom she hadn't seen in ages." Gennai laughed, "We ended up dating each other for several years, all because I told her how I truly felt."

Davis was completely wrapped within the story, "What happened after those several years?"

The happiness vanished from Gennai's face. "She was killed when Piedmon attacked the order's base. I lost her the day before I was going to ask her to marry me."

Davis' eyes widened. "Oh no. I-I'm so sorry Gennai! I shouldn't have-"

Gennai waved the apology away. "Nonsense Davis, nonsense. There was no way you could have known. That girl will live in my heart forever. And I'll never be lonely as long as I remember the special times that I had with her."

Veemon asked, "What was her name?"

Gennai was silent for a moment. "Oh dear, I forgot." Davis and Veemon's jaws hit the floor. 

"GENNAI! How could you forget! That story nearly had me in tears!"

Gennai laughed, "I'm kidding! Just kidding! The woman's name was Iliad, and she was one of my dearest friends." Gennai became a bit more serious, "But Davis, think for a moment. If you try and win Kari's heart by impressing her, what will happen if she does fall for that routine? You'll have to impress her almost every day in order to keep her affection, and you'll never get to be yourself. Trust me, it's easier and a lot more fun to act natural. Try to be Kari's friend first, you can worry about being her boyfriend later on."

Davis looked a little nervous, "Yeah… I guess…"

Gennai said, "Besides, aren't you just a little young to be worrying about love?"

Davis scowled, "I'm eleven years old. I'm not young!" Gennai laughed, so did Veemon. 

Davis' brief moment of embarrassment would have continued if not for an untimely event. A loud crash exploded from behind the group. They turned around to see an all-too-familiar Digimon.

Veemon stated the obvious, "Oh no! It's Darklizardmon again!" Darklizardmon leered at them, as hungry as ever. Gennai didn't wait for any attack, he ordered the Mechanorimon to pick Davis and Veemon up again, then took off at a fast run. 

Davis protested, "Why are we running? Let's pay that thing back!"

Gennai shook his head, "Remember what you read about that Digimon, Davis. Darklizardmon is invulnerable against fire attacks. Flamedramon is useless in this case, and Raidramon and Mechanorimon won't be of much use either. Besides, don't think of it as running away, think of it as charging in the opposite direction!"

Mechanorimon and its passengers "charged in the opposite direction" as fast as they could go. All the while Darklizardmon pursued them with the single-minded attempt of getting food. The chase continued all through the forest, until Mechanorimon burst into a huge meadow. Davis could see something in the middle of the meadow. _That must be Meadow Town_. It looked more like a fortress than a town. A huge wall of tree trunks was set up around the buildings, with several cannons protruding out of the top. 

Those cannons began firing the instant Darklizardmon emerged from the forest. Clouds of smoke began puffing out as Davis and crew approached the settlement. Davis risked a look back to see if the shots stopped Darklizardmon. To Davis' surprise, Darklizardmon was shrieking in pain and retreating back towards the forest. Davis saw several shots hit Darklizardmon, but rather than an explosion, the shots produced a great deal of steam.

Realization hit Davis a moment later, "Those aren't cannonballs! Those are water balloons!" Davis looked ahead to see that the main gate to Meadow Town was opening to receive Mechanorimon. Gennai navigated the Digimon right through the opening and pulled to a stop once they were safely inside. Davis looked back again. Darklizardmon had disappeared.

"Welcome to Meadow Town!" An enthusiastic though somewhat silly voice rang out. Davis dismounted Mechanorimon and looked around. All sorts of Digimon had surrounded Davis' group. Kiwimon, Gazimon, Gotsumon, and even smaller Digimon like Koromon, Tsunomon, Yokomon, and Motimon, were gathered around the main entrance. Davis had never seen so many different Digimon in one place. 

Davis looked at the speaker for the group, and nearly burst out laughing. The speaker looked like a big stuffed toy that was modeled after a Tyranomon. Unlike a Tyranomon, this Digimon was about as tall as Davis, and didn't look threatening in the slightest way. Two yellow eyes shinned from inside the "mouth". 

The speaker continued, "Greetings. I'm ExTyranomon, the leader of this community. Are you alright?"

Davis stepped up and gave a slight bow to ExTyranomon. It wouldn't do to insult the leader of the Digimon who had just saved Davis' life. "We're fine, thank you. I'm Davis. These are my friends, Veemon, Gennai, and Mechanorimon." 

ExTyranomon looked Davis up and down, "I've never seen a Digimon like you before."

Gennai spoke up, "Davis and I are human. Although, you've probably heard of the Digidestined, and Davis is a member of that group." 

A loud cheer and a great deal of talking erupted from the masses. Ex-Tyranomon was beside himself. "A Digidestined in our humble town! We're honored."

Davis blinked, "Y-you know about me… I mean, you know about the Digidestined?" Davis mentally kicked himself. He wasn't the only Digidestined, and he shouldn't think of himself as the most important figure in the group. 

ExTyranomon said, "Of course we know of your wondrous group! You are the defenders of the light, the slayers of Devimon, Etemon, Myotismon, and the Dark Masters. You saved us all from the Digimon Emperor and Chimeramon! We are indebted to you all!" Davis suddenly felt like a bug under a microscope. The way Ex-Tyranomon talked, it sounded as if the Digidestined had won those victories with ease. Davis had to admit to himself that he hadn't even done half the work for which he was being praised. It felt wrong to be congratulated for things that he had either only contributed to, or not done at all.

Davis said, "I-I wish you wouldn't make such a big deal out of this. I only helped against the Digimon Emperor and Chimeramon. I didn't win it by myself, the others did as much as I did or more. And I didn't have anything to do with beating those other Digimon you mentioned."

ExTyranomon clapped its hands together. "Such humility! Just what I'd expect from such a great warrior!"

Great warrior? Davis couldn't see that term applying to himself. He decided to change the subject. "Has Meadow Town always been a fort?"

ExTyranomon shook its head, "No. We had to build the wall to protect our town from Darklizardmon. He moved into the forest to hide from the Digimon Emperor, and hasn't left since. He comes to our town hoping to eat all of us. We had to build the wall to protect ourselves, and the water cannons are the only thing that can hurt such a powerful fire Digimon."

Davis was suddenly angry at Darklizardmon. "What a jerk!"

Gennai nodded, "Well, being on fire 24-7 does tend to affect your social life. ExTyranomon, our Mechanorimon needs to recharge. May we stay here for a short time?"

"Of course! Of course! You are more than welcome to stay as long as you like." 

********

Darklizardmon limped deeper into the forest. The water had hurt it, and it was hungry. Those four morsels of meat would have been wonderful to feast upon, but they had escaped. Darklizardmon could have sworn that it had smelled two of those creatures before.

"Hungry, my friend?" Darklizardmon swiveled to the right. A cloaked figure was standing in the shadows. There was no face to it, only darkness within the hood. Darklizardmon sensed danger from this creature. It was a threat! Darklizardmon charged at the creature, intent upon eliminating the threat.

A tiny red light shined within the cloaked figure's darkened hood. Darklizardmon suddenly found that it could not move. It was paralyzed by the light. The darkness of the figure's hood seemed to swallow Darklizardmon, along with any hope of escape. 

The figure spoke, "It would be unwise to challenge me. Especially since I come bearing you an offer. I can get you into Meadow Town, and all I ask in return is that you let me feast upon half its citizenry."

********

Davis sat in Mechanorimon's shadow, trying to ignore all the Digimon that were watching him. "Isn't Mechanorimon recharged yet?"

"Patients." said Gennai. "He'll be fully recharged by this evening. Then, we can go. By the way, Davis, I was very proud of how modest you were when ExTyranomon was complimenting you. You've done a lot more than you give yourself credit for."

Davis flicked a stone with his finger. "Oh yeah? If Kari had been here, I probably would have boasted about all the great things that I had done, and then some. All just to impress Kari."

Gennai said, "You're being too hard on yourself. The fact that you admit such a flaw shows that you are ready to change it. Besides, you're worrying too much about your relationship with Kari. Why don't you take a walk and try to clear your mind?"

Davis said, "After running from the others and Darklizardmon, I don't think I'll ever move again."

Veemon came running up. "Hey, Davis! The towns-Digimon are setting up a soccer game. You wanna play?"

Davis face lit up. "Soccer? Cool! I'm there!" Davis got up and ran with Veemon.

Gennai called after them, "What happened to never being able to move again?"

Davis called over his shoulder, "I changed my mind!"

Gennai shook his head. "The energy of youth. How I miss it!"

********

The soccer game was going pretty well, but Davis was sure that the other team was letting his team win. They didn't want offend "the great Digidestined Davis," as the Digimon of the town had begun to call Davis. He couldn't wait to get away from here. Normally, he would have loved all the attention that he was getting, but for some reason it felt wrong to take credit for a team effort. Davis took a break after scoring what must have been his tenth goal. 

"Floramon, please!" Davis looked up to see two plant Digimon walking down the street. The first one, a Floramon, looked like a cross between Agumon and Palmon. The Digimon following Floramon looked like a big flower with a yellow face and purple petals. Its feet were actually green spiky vines, and its hands were small black and orange flower heads. 

Floramon turned around, "Blossomon, for the last time. I'm meeting with Deramon now. I can't do anything with you!"

Blossomon persisted, "But Floramon, all I want is for you to take a walk with me in the field! What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, except that I'm meeting with Deramon right now!" Floramon quickened her pace and left Blossomon in the dust. Blossomon sighed, then slumped off down another street. Davis watched the whole event in a sort of trance. He remembered that a Deramon was Digimon that looked like a big white and blue bird wearing a crown and had a big bush attached to its backside. Davis saw the scene as an excerpt from his own life. Floramon was like Kari, going to see her friend, Deramon/TK. Blossomon was like Davis: trying to get Floramon/Kari's attention, but was being ignored. Davis had lost count over how many times Kari had turned him down to do something, all because Kari was going to go see TK. Why couldn't he get equal time?

Veemon snapped Davis out of his trance, "Hey, Davis! Are you ready to play again?"

"Yeah… sure." Davis tried to forget the scene that had just unfolded. 

********

Davis kicked the ball into play again. He had asked Veemon to play on the other team, so that the other Digimon would stop forfeiting the game. That turned out to be a mistake when Veemon used his V-head-butt to hit the ball. The soccer ball was sent soaring up and up, until it fell far beyond the wooden wall. 

"Oops." Veemon tried to slink away from the group.

Davis said, "Veemon, you hit it, you get it. That's the rule."

Veemon said, "But what about Darklizardmon?"

"It's okay." Said one of the other Digimon. "He never comes out right after an attack. He's probably still recovering from those water balloons."

Veemon looked at Davis, "But it's so far to walk! Davis, could you please get it for me?" Veemon looked at Davis with eyes that could melt any miser's heart.

Davis growled at his partner, "Cheap shot, Veemon." He turned on his heel and walked towards the gate.

"Thanks, Davis." Veemon waved good-bye. 

Davis exited the town and headed towards the area where the ball should have landed. It surprised Davis how high the grass was. It actually reached his knees. This made it harder to find the ball. Davis did eventually find it, but it had been flattened. The force of Veemon's head-butt had blown a hole in the ball. _Well, _Davis mentally shrugged, _I guess the game's over_. Davis wasn't too sorry. There had been no challenge to the game, and Davis had fun overcoming a challenge.

Davis turned around to head back, but a shade of purple caught his eye. The Blossomon that he had seen earlier was standing out in the field, all alone. Davis felt a little sorry for the Digimon, and decided to at least go over and say hi, even if it meant more hero worshiping. 

"Hi there!" Davis said as he approached the Blossomon.

"Hi" was the Digimon's only reply. Davis frowned. Maybe this guy wanted some time alone. Just then, the Blossomon looked at him again. "Hey, aren't you one of the Digidestined?"

"Yeah. My name's Davis."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Blossomon. Hope ya don't mind me being here. I just thought I'd come out and absorb some sun… I noticed you watching my little talk with Floramon."

Davis stumbled for words, "Oh, that… I, um… that is…" Davis realized how stupid he sounded and took a deep breath. "I did see it. It reminded me of some of my own problems."

Blossomon gave him an "oh really" look. "You wanna know the whole story?"

Davis was surprised, "You don't mind?"

"Naw. It helps to sing my woes to someone else. Have a seat."

Davis sat down. "Okay, but what's a woe?"

Blossomon laughed, "You're pretty funny." Blossomon thought for a moment, "I've known Floramon all my life. We were friends since the day we were seedlings. We even started courting each other when we were older. I thought she really loved me. But then, Deramon moved into town, and suddenly he was her main guy. I've been trying to get her to recognize me again, but she just wants to meet with Deramon. She says we're still friends, but it's not like it was before."

Davis put his hands behind his head and lay down. The ground was nice and soft, the sunlight warmed his face, and the sky was so beautiful. This wasn't such a bad place to be after all. Davis returned his attention to Blossomon. "That sounds a lot like my troubles."

Blossomon said, "Really? Is some new guy moving in on the girl whom you've known for forever and a day?"

Davis shook his head. "Not exactly. It's the other way around. I only met this girl, Kari Kamiya, about two years ago. But really, she's something special to me. My Mom and Dad both work late shifts, and our family used to live in this really unpopulated area. There were very few kids my age, and none of them wanted to be my friend. They all said I was too stupid or geeky." Davis clenched his fist behind his head as he remember all the jokes the kids had made about Davis sucking his thumb and saying dumb things. "My sister, Jun, had some friends, so she was never lonely. I tried to hang with Jun and her friends, but I always wound up getting left out of the game or being left behind. I hated where we lived, and I was overjoyed when I found out that my parents had gotten better jobs and that we were gonna move. Anything to get out of that place."

Davis sighed, "But my happiness died the first day of school. I was so terrified that I was going to end up alone again. That's when I met Kari. The first words outta her mouth were, 'Hi, I'm Kari. Wanna be friends?'" Davis smiled, "And just like that, we were friends. We hung out a lot, and Kari helped me become more confident so that I could make more friends. Somewhere along the way, I got the impression that Kari was my girl. I was finally happy. I think Kari had a little more casual feel about our friendship, but I really thought she liked me."

Davis clenched his fist again. "Then TK moved to Odaiba. Turns out he had know Kari longer than I had. They were both part of the older Digidestined team, and they had gotten to know each other really well. Suddenly, Kari didn't have time for me anymore. She's always hanging out with TK; going to his basketball games when she used to come to my soccer games. She's always going to places with him on the weekend, but she's stopped going with me! They have lunch together while I get left in the corner every time! I've been totally shafted!" Davis tore out a few blades of grass and hit the ground with his fist. 

Blossomon finally spoke, "Hmm. Sounds to me like you're more worried about losing your best friend, not your girlfriend." Davis blinked. That was… true. Davis had always thought that Kari had been his girlfriend, but that was because he cared about her so much. However, what really killed him inside was that Kari no longer spent time with him. It was as if he had been demoted from one of Kari's best friends to just one of her casual friends.

Davis said, "Well, yeah… I guess that's kinda true… Sorry to chew your ear like this."

"No problem. I know it sounds selfish, but I don't feel as bad knowing that someone else has similar problems. Sorry I brought up painful memories though."

Davis let out a deep breath. "It's okay. You wanna walk with me back to the town?"

"Sure." Blossomon and Davis walked back to the village, talking all the way. By the time they got there, Davis felt that he had known Blossomon for forever. Blossomon told Davis about the surrounding area in order for Davis to help plan his Walkabout. Just beyond the meadow there were a series of canyons called "The Rock Maze." Word was that no one had ever successfully navigated their way through that jumble of canyons. Davis decided that the Rock Maze would be his next destination. He was looking forward to a real challenge. Blossomon advised Davis to stock up on water before entering the Maze. The lake that Meadow Town used to fill their water balloon ammunition was located very close to the Rock Maze. It was a large lake located at the bottom of a deep pit, but it was some of the purest water available. Davis made a mental note to remember the lake.

Veemon was waiting for them inside the gate. "Davis! I was getting worried. What took you so long?"

Davis smiled, "Sorry about that. I was talking with Blossomon here."

Veemon asked, "But what about the soccer game?"

Davis held up the flattened soccer ball. "Next time, try kicking the ball." Veemon tilted his head down. Davis put a hand on Veemon's shoulder. He didn't want to make is best friend feel sad. "Don't worry about it, buddy. I wish I could hit a ball that hard." Veemon's face brightened. 

A Mushroomon ran up to Blossomon. "Blossomon, have you heard? It's big news!"

"What is it?" Blossomon asked. 

"It's Deramon and Floramon! They've decided to become life-mates!" Blossomon looked as if someone had just cut his roots off.

Davis whispered to Veemon. "Veemon, what's a life-mate?"

Veemon whispered back, "It's kinda like marriage on your world." Davis' heart sank. Poor Blossomon.

Davis said, "Blossomon, I-I'm so sorry."

Blossomon spoke with only half interest. "It's okay. I'll see you later, Davis." He trudged off without another word.

********

Blossomon wandered throughout the town in a daze. Digimon spoke to him, but he didn't hear their words. Everyone was so happy that Floramon and Deramon were going to become life mates, so why did Blossomon feel as if he had just been left in the middle of a desert?

"Blossomon." A dark voice whispered from the shadows. Blossomon was instantly pulled out of his trance and looked at a nearby alley. A hooded creature stood in the alley's darkest recesses. 

A red eye glowed beneath the figure's hood. Blossomon suddenly found that he could not move an inch. Terror grasped his heart as the figure raised a hand and beckoned to him. The hand was old and withered, as if the creature before Blossomon was starving. Blossomon suddenly found his body moving towards the figure, yet Blossomon himself was not it control. The glowing red eye seemed to swallow Blossomon's will, and controlled his every movement.

As soon as Blossomon was in the shadows, the figure spoke in a low, sinister voice. "Blossomon, you have been betrayed. You professed your love to Floramon, yet she turned her affections towards Deramon. Do you know why? I will tell you. They did it so that they could hurt you."

Blossomon was suddenly back in a trance. "To hurt me?"

"Yes. Their sole desire is to hurt you. It is a universal truth: friends betray you! No one is capable of true love. All living creatures seek to harm one another. Floramon and Deramon are laughing at you right now!"

The image of Floramon and Deramon having a good laugh over Blossomon's misfortune forced its way into Blossomon's mind. His eyes began to well up with tears. 

The figure continued, "You know what you have to do. If Floramon cannot be yours, then she cannot be with anyone else. She has hurt you, the towns-Digimon have hurt you, it is time that you hurt them back."

Blossomon's eyes began to glaze over, and his voice became hateful. "Hurt them back!"

"YES! I have a way for you to get even with them. All you must do is deprive them of their water balloon ammunition, I will handle the rest. Now, tell me the truth. You hate them, don't you? You hate them all!"

Blossomon hissed, "YES! I HATE THEM!"

********

Evening had finally come, and Davis, Gennai, Veemon, and Mechanorimon were preparing to leave. Davis had tried to find Blossomon, but his efforts had failed. The plant Digimon was nowhere to be found. The rest of the Digimon had assembled to bid the travelers farewell. Even Floramon and Deramon were there, blushing furiously as everyone around them congratulated them and wished them happiness. 

Davis walked up to the two newly joined Digimon. He still felt sorry for Blossomon, but it would be wrong not to wish Floramon and Deramon well. Davis shook Deramon's wing. "Congratulations. I hope you two will be very happy together." 

Deramon said, "Oh, I know we will. And thank you. Gosh, being wished well by an actual Digidestined!"  
_Ugh,_ Davis thought, _Get me outta here!_ This whole scene made Davis feel a little sad. If Kari and TK ever got hitched like this, would Davis find himself left out, just like Blossomon? Floramon hadn't told Blossomon what had happened, she had left that up to other people. Would Kari not tell Davis, and would he be the only person feeling sad and alone while everyone else was happy? That thought made him feel sick. He didn't want to be left out, even if it meant that TK won Kari's heart. 

Davis shook his head, _When I get home, things are going to have change. I have to stop being such a jerk to Kari and TK! I don't want to lose their friendship and be left out._ Davis felt a small burden lift off his chest with that resolution. Yes, that was the right course of action for him to take.

A lookout shouted from above, "ExTyranomon! Darklizardmon is coming!"

ExTyranomon was surprised, "Already? He's never attacked twice in one day! Never! Fire the water balloons!" The cannons sounded off one after another. 

"It's no good! He just keeps coming! Get more balloons!" A small group of Digimon ran for the shed where all the water balloons were stored. They opened the doors, then screamed in surprise. Davis ran over to the shed. The insides of the shed were completely soaked in water. Every small cubby-hole that should have stored a water balloon had been demolished, and all the balloons were destroyed. 

Davis' face paled. Standing in the middle of the destruction was Blossomon. Floramon came up to Davis' side. "B-Blossomon?"

Blossomon's face broke into a wicked smile. "Hello, Floramon. I thought I'd give you a present for your bonding with Deramon. I give you death!" Blossomon laughed, "Thorn Whips!" Several of Blossomon's vines lashed out and smashed through the side of the shed. Still laughing like a madman, Blossomon ran outside.

"Blossomon! Wait!" Davis took off after his friend. What could have happened to change Blossomon this much?

Davis could hear ExTyranomon wail in the background. "We are doomed! Open the rear gate! Everyone, flee for you lives! Women and in-training first!" The next sound was a loud crash, followed by countless screams. Darklizardmon had broken down the defensive wall with one blow. 

Davis pursued Blossomon down countless streets. The Digimon continued to run, laughing all the way. Davis followed Blossomon down turn after unfamiliar turn, until Davis reached a dead end. Blossomon was no where to be seen. _Did I lose him?_

"Thorn Whip!" Davis looked up just in time to see Blossomon drop from the sky. The plant Digimon had been hanging from the side of the building, waiting for Davis! Blossomon's thorn covered vines wrapped around Davis, squeezing the air out of him. Davis cried out as the thorns pierced his flesh.

Blossomon hissed, "You shouldn't have followed me. Now you'll die too, fool!"

Davis spoke in a strained voice, "Why? Why did you betray everyone?"

Blossomon sneered, "They betrayed me first! They all threw me aside for their own selfish interests! It's a universal truth, Davis: friends betray you!"  
"No… that's not true!"  
Blossomon scoffed, "Isn't it, Davis? Kari betrayed you! You were her best friend, and then she left you in the dust for someone that she had known longer!"

Davis shook his head, "We're still friends." Blossomon squeezed harder, causing Davis to scream.

"FRIENDS? You can lie to yourself all you want Davis, but the truth is that you're alone, just like everyone else! There are no friends, no loved ones! They is only hate." 

Davis looked into Blossomon's eyes. They seemed to be clouded over, almost like it wasn't Blossomon who was actually talking. "What happened to you?"

Blossomon smiled, "My eyes were opened, by a very wise Digimon." 

"Dread Fire!" A dark fireball fell from the sky. An explosion burst directly to the right of where Blossomon was standing. One of the buildings began to crumble. 

Davis cried, "Blossomon! Look out!" It was too late. Large flaming pieces of wood landed on Blossomon. He vanished in a hail of burning lumber. Davis' face paled and his eyes widened. "Blossomon!" The vines holding Davis slacked off and fell to the ground. Davis ran head-long into the debris. He didn't care about being burned, he didn't fear dying, he just wanted to save his friend! Davis threw wood aside as he fought to find a path to Blossomon. He finally saw a purple petal sticking up from under the rubble. It was buried under a huge pole of wood.

"Blossomon!" Davis pushed with all his strength, but he couldn't move the large piece.

"Davis!" Veemon, Gennai, and Mechanorimon came running down the ally-way. 

"Help me!" Davis shouted to the others. Veemon didn't ask questions, he simply stood right next to Davis began to try to lift the pole. Gennai maneuvered Mechanorimon by their side and inserted one huge metal claw under the pole. Mechanorimon lifted the pole as if it were a toothpick. Davis reached down and dragged Blossomon out from the burning rubble. "Blossomon! Hang on!"

Tears were flowing like rivers down Blossomon's face. His body was battered and bruised, and his eyes had returned to normal. Blossomon's voice was barely above a whisper, "What have I done? What have I done? I've betrayed the people that I cared about the most…"

Davis cradled the dying Digimon in his arms. "No, no! It's okay. We'll fix everything! Just you watch! You'll be fine!"

Blossomon looked into Davis' face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have attacked you. Davis, please, save this town! Please fix my sin, and save the people I love. I don't care if they hate me, as long as their alive long enough to do so!"

Davis nodded, "I will. I swear I will. But don't you give up!"

Blossomon smiled, "Thank you, my dear friend…" Blossomon closed his eyes and went limp in Davis' arms. His body burst into a million tiny bits of data, and floated into the air. 

Gennai and Veemon bowed their heads. Davis watched the cloud of data disappear. "No… NO!" Davis pounded the ground with his fist, then lay there, shuddering. _Please save this town!_ That had been Blossomon's final wish. Davis was going to make sure that happened. Davis looked up, "Veemon! This ends now! Digiarmor ENERGIZE!" The digiegg of friendship appeared.

"Veemon armor digivolve to… Raidramon: The Storm of Friendship!" 

Davis mounted Raidramon. "Gennai, go help the towns-Digimon escape. We'll handle Darklizardmon." Davis and Raidramon took off at a running speed.

Gennai called from behind, "Good luck!" 

********

As Darklizardmon came into view, Davis ran over the possible ways to fight. He knew by now that fire or lightning wouldn't hurt that fire Digimon, only water could do that. Davis remembered his talk with Blossomon in the field, and hatched a plan. "Get his attention!"

"Blue Thunder!" A bolt of lightning shot out of Raidramon's horn and struck Darklizardmon in the shoulder. The monster roared in annoyance more than pain as the energy was absorbed into the black fire. Darklizardmon turned on Davis and Raidramon with murder in its eyes.

"I think he remembers us." Davis said uneasily.

Raidramon's voice was sarcastic, "Oh goody!" Davis gave the order to turn around and start running. Raidramon sprinted towards the main wall with Darklizardmon close behind. With one great leap, Raidramon was over the fence and running through the meadow, towards the Rock Maze. Darklizardmon crashed through the barrier and pursued them. Fires started wherever Darklizardmon stepped. 

Raidramon called up to Davis, "Would you mind telling me why you're suddenly so keen on running away?"

Davis gave him a confident smile, "We're not running, we're winning!"

Raidramon looked back at Darklizardmon, and the burning Meadow Town behind them. "You and I have two very different definitions of 'winning.'"

They ran for what felt like forever. All the while, Davis kept looking for the pit with the lake in it, the one that Blossomon had told him about. Davis was worried, strategy had never been his strong suit. Yet here he was, leading a huge flaming Digimon into an improvised trap. Had it not been a life-or-death situation, Davis would have found the whole thing very ironic. 

Davis was beginning to wonder if he hadn't missed the lake, when he saw a steep drop-off in the ground, just ahead and to the right. It was at the base of mountain, just where Blossomon said it would be. "Raidramon, head towards the right!" To his credit, Raidramon ran without any questions or hesitation. They headed right for the pit and stopped at its edge. Davis peered down. The lake was large enough to take Darklizardmon, and it was a fair way down. This would be perfect!

"Okay," Davis took a deep breath, "we wait here."

"Why wait?" asked Raidramon, "The guest of honor is here already!"

Davis looked behind them, Darklizardmon had indeed arrived. "Okay, we don't wait. Jump when I give the word." Davis grabbed hold of Raidramon's armor and held on with sweaty hands. Darklizardmon stomped closer. Each footstep was a small clap of thunder. Murder was in the creatures dark eyes. It obviously wasn't about to let Davis get away a third time. 

"Steady…" Davis was speaking more to himself than he was to Raidramon. Darklizardmon advanced closer. No Dread Fire, that was good. Davis could feel the sweat leaking down his face. _C'mon, c'mon, lunge for us ya stupid brute!_

The dark-flamed Digimon roared and dove for Raidramon with both metal claws. "JUMP NOW!" Davis shouted. Raidramon lifted off into the air just in time. Darklizardmon landed beneath them, but didn't fall into the lake. He just teetered on the edge.

__

Oh no! Davis didn't know what to do. How could he knock Darklizardmon into the lake now? Darklizardmon turned around and prepared to attack again. Davis tried to remember what he had read about this Digimon from Gennai's books. Darklizardmon's flames rendered him almost invulnerable to most energy attacks. The only places on his body that weren't engulfed in flames were his claws and his…

"Raidramon! Hit his head!" 

"Blue Thunder!" The blast of energy soared in and connected with Darklizardmon's head. The Digimon shrieked as lightning danced across its skull and jumped to its claws. Davis and Raidramon watched anxiously as Darklizardmon stumbled backwards and fell over the edge of the lake. It roared even louder as it plummeted to the bottom. The water swallowed the monster in a torrent of waves. The water was instantly set to boiling and steam filled the whole pit. Davis waited, fearing that Darklizardmon would appear out of the mist like a demon out of hell's fires. Nothing happened. 

The steam cleared. There was no sign of Darklizardmon. "YES!!!" Davis punched his fist into the air.

"HA HA HA!" A sinister laugh caused Davis' head to turn towards the top of the mountain. A cloaked figure was standing on a small cliff. _My eyes were opened, by a very wise Digimon._ Was this the Digimon that Blossomon had mentioned? Davis looked at Raidramon. 

"Quick, let's get that guy!"

Raidramon up at Davis quizzically, "What guy?"

Davis looked back up at the cliff. There was no sign of the cloaked Digimon. "Didn't you see a guy in a cloak up there?"

"No. I was watching for Darklizardmon."

"You didn't hear a laugh?"

"I thought that was you!"

Davis pressed a hand to his head. "I don't laugh like that!" Whoever that Digimon was, he, she, or it was gone now. Davis couldn't prove it, but he was sure that thing had something to do with Blossomon's drastic change. He took a deep breath to calm down, "Let's get back to Meadow Town." Raidramon took off back to the still burning town.

********

Darklizardmon limped down yet another canyon path. It was hurt, lost, and afraid. It had barely survived its fall into the water, and only by using the steam as cover had it been able to escape into the Rock Maze. It had not feasted on the vulnerable town, it had not succeeded in eating the morsels that constantly evaded it, and it was now in fear for its life. Darklizardmon rued the fact that it had ever seen that cloaked Digimon.

"You have failed." Speak of the devil. The cloaked threat was standing on a small boulder near Darklizardmon. Darklizardmon was surprised that it had not detected the threat approach. The cloak figure spoke, "I gave you the perfect window to attack the town, and you failed! Still, all is not lost. You may be dying, but you can be consoled that your deletion will sustain me!" The red glow shone from the darkness again. 

Darklizardmon suddenly felt its strength leaving. Its body was becoming weaker and weaker. Darklizardmon shrieked in mixture of anger, pain, and sheer terror. It fell to the ground with a thunderous boom, and lay limp. The glowing red eye shone brighter, and Darklizardmon felt a stab of pain all across its body. Then its body dissolved into a cloud of raw data. The data spiraled through the air like a tornado, and was sucked into the cloaked figure's hood by an unseen force. There was a brief chewing sound, then a loud gulp. The cloaked figure let out a content sigh, like a predator that had just finished a much-needed meal.

********

Gennai, Mechanorimon, and Veemon walked through the meadow towards Davis. It was much later at night, and the fires had been extinguished. By some miracle, only a few houses had been burned down. The towns-Digimon had long ago prepared for the threat of Darklizardmon penetrating the wall, and secondary reserves of water had been set up to extinguish the fires. Of course, no one had prepared a contingency plan in case of betrayal. Davis had made it clear that once they were sure that Meadow Town was safe, the group should resume its Walkabout. 

Davis himself had done a great deal of work to extinguish the fires, but he had left for the meadow as soon as the first chance had arisen. Gennai and Veemon could see Davis kneeling nearby. He was doing something with the ground in front of him, but they could not see what. 

Gennai hopped off Mechanorimon and approached Davis cautiously. "Davis? Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Davis sounded as if he were only half-awake. Gennai looked over Davis' shoulder. Davis had piled up a small mound of dirt, and fixed a small wooden cross at the top. Davis stood up, "I once heard Mimi tell Yolei that she used to make these little mounds whenever a Digimon died to save the Digidestined. I figured that Blossomon deserved some kind of memorial." Davis gave the mound a second look. It was lumpy and misshapen. The cross was on the brink of falling apart, and it had been constructed using only two twigs. That had been all Davis could find without going into the woods. He sighed, "It's a piece of junk."

Gennai put his hand on Davis' shoulder, "It is not. It's a fine way of honoring your friend. I fear that Blossomon will not be remembered kindly for he did."

Davis was suddenly angry, "But it wasn't his fault! He was under that cloaked guy's control, I'm sure of it!"

Gennai shook his head, "You are the only one who saw this cloaked figure, we can't be sure if he was even real. You were emotionally distraught at the time, after all. If there is an evil Digimon causing trouble, we'll find out about it soon enough." Davis could only nod. Gennai asked, "Shall we say our good-byes to Meadow Town?"

Davis shook his head, "We've already said good-bye, I think it would be better to just go."

Just then, ExTyranomon, Floramon, and Deramon came running up. ExTyranomon said, "Wait! Wait! Great Digidestined Davis, I would like to thank you once again for your valiant act of defending our town."

Davis kicked the dirt, "Some defense. You're town nearly burned down."

ExTyranomon shook his head, "But you have freed us from fear of Darklizardmon. We need not hide behind the wall anymore. Meadow Town can finally grow and flourish again!"

Floramon stepped up, "Thank you so much."

Davis could feel his eyes burning again, but he swore that he wouldn't cry. "I'm sorry about Blossomon."

Floramon's voice was strained with tears, "It was my fault. I should never have stopped being his friend. If I had been kinder to him, none of this would have happened."

"That's not true." Davis knew that Blossomon wouldn't have wanted Floramon to be sad. "The best thing that you can do for Blossomon is to be happy. That way, he'll be happy too. He loved you very much."

Floramon nodded, "Thank you again. I promise you, I will be happy, and so will Blossomon." The three Digimon left for the town.

Davis sighed and looked around the meadow. So much had happened in just one day, and Davis had learned something very important. Seeing Blossomon so twisted by sadness and jealousy had made Davis realize just how important true friendship was. Blossomon had been so sad and lonely because he felt abandoned by his friends. That was how Davis had felt when he overheard Kari and the others laughing about him. Davis now knew that he couldn't afford to lose his friends. If he kept trying to force Kari and the others to like him by showing off, he'd only end up pushing them away. _And then I'll be alone again_. That was a terrifying thought for Davis. Things had to change. One thing was certain, Davis was going to prove that Blossomon had been controlled by that cloaked figure. That was the least he could do.

"Let's go." Davis and company began to walk towards the Rock Maze. Davis turned around and took one final look at his friend's memorial.

_Thank you, Blossomon. I learned a lot from you._

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Sometimes the most important lessons in life come at a high price, and Davis has learned a very important lesson. However, that unknown creature is going to make Davis' journey a lot harder. Day 5 is coming soon.


	5. Day 5

Walkabout

Day 5: Leomon

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I don't own rights to any Digimon characters, monsters, or episodes.*

Okay, here we go with Day 5! I'd like start out by thanking two people who gave me a little inspiration. WilliamKim07 sent me an e-mail that helped to clear up a little writer's block for this chapter, and Aardwulf sent me a wonderful quote that really gets at the heart of Davis' walkabout. That quote is listed below. It's hard coming up for a quote for each day, ya know.

I also want to keep thanking everyone who comments on my story. Before I started writing, I was beginning to doubt that there were any Davis fans out there. I'm also glad that non-Davis fans are willing to read my story.

I found out about XVmon through a combination of Matt's Digimon Webpage and Megchan's Digimon Sekai. Thanks for the info, guys! Veedramon and AeroVeedramon came from the Digimon card game.

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"Self-knowledge is an adventure that carries us unexpectedly far and deep."

-C G Jung

A huge canyon within the Rock Maze echoed with the sound of a rock skipping down the path. Not far behind that rock was a silent and pensive Davis. Sadness over the death of Blossomon had given way to guilt. Maybe there was something that Davis could have done to save his friend. If he hadn't fallen into that trap, maybe he could have brought Blossomon out of his trance and then saved the town. Veemon and Gennai had been mostly silent about the whole matter, although they had mentioned to Davis that it wasn't his fault and that there really hadn't been anything that he could have done.

Gennai had said, "Blossomon was under the influence of a strong power."

Davis had asked, "You mean that guy in the cloak?"

"No. Blossomon was suffering from love. Love is a very powerful force, it can give a person or Digimon incredible strength, or it can break someone in two." Davis had kept silent after that, reminded of how his feelings for Kari usually drove him nuts. Gennai still doubted Davis' story about the hooded creature, and Veemon hadn't been able to support Davis' claims. Maybe Davis really had imagined that thing. 

Veemon spoke up, "Davis, how long are we gonna stay in here?" They had been wandering through the Rock Maze for over three hours. Davis had started the group moving shortly after breakfast, and they had been walking ever since. All the while Davis had used the time to think about what else he could change about himself. Was there something else that he needed to work on? 

Davis' mind returned to Blossomon. _If only I'd been stronger! I could have saved him! And if I were stronger, maybe I wouldn't be such a joke to the others!_

Davis replied, "Let's stay in here a little longer. If we don't find our way out of here by lunch, we'll just pile onto Mechanorimon and fly out."

Gennai nodded, "A sound plan." Just then, a low rumble filled the canyon. It didn't sound like an avalanche though. It actually sounded like it came from something living. Davis' fears were confirmed when a series of low thumps could be heard farther down the hall. Davis was eager to see what it was, but Gennai said, "I think we'd better turn around."

Davis was about to protest, when another series of thumps came from behind them. Davis turned around and saw a large shadow coming down the wall. The shadow could be traced to something just around the corner. The first series of thumps was also moving closer.

Davis gulped. _I think we're in trouble…_

********

Kari looked around all the faces gathered at the park play ground. All of the older Digidestined as well as the newest members were gathered around a tree in the shade. This had been the Digidestined's meeting place since Myotismon attacked Odaiba. It had taken a whole day to get a hold of the older kids. TK and the others had decided not to mention Davis' situation to any of the older kids until the whole team had been assembled. That way, the younger Digidestined wouldn't have to repeat the story over and over again. 

Yolei explained the basic situation. "A few days ago, Davis didn't show up for our trip to the Digital World. We haven't seen him since that day, but an anonymous e-mail that I got yesterday told us that he was in the Digital World, alone. We tried to meet up with him, but he actually ran away from us! I checked again, and Davis is still in the Digi-world!"

Tai nodded, "That is strange. I told him to never stay in the Digital World for too long."

Sora asked, "Did he mention anything to anyone?" 

Kari said, "He didn't say anything to me specifically, but he was acting very strange the last day of school. He didn't want to go with me to TK's game, and he was really eager to go to class."

Mimi, who had only recently moved back from America, said, "Eager to go to class and not wanting to be with you, Kari? That definitely isn't Davis' style."

Joe asked, "Is Veemon with him?"

Tai said, "We didn't find Veemon at Davis' house, so I guess they are together."

Matt spoke up, "Maybe he's doing what I did during the fight with Dark Masters."

Cody asked, "What did you do, Matt?"

Matt sighed and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, "Well, when we were fighting this bunch of evil Digimon called 'The Dark Masters,' I took some time away from the group. I was always fighting with everyone and I began to wonder if something wasn't wrong with me. I decided to break away from the group and think things out on my own for a while. Eventually, I found the answers that I was looking for, and I rejoined the group."

Izzy nodded, "That is a very strong possibility. Davis does have a history of being at odds with everyone at one point or another."

Kari protested, "But to leave without saying anything?"

Joe pointed out, "We would have tried to stop him. That's probably what he was afraid of." 

Yolei asked, "So what should we do? We can't just leave him in the Digi-world can we?"

Matt sat up, "If he has gone off on his own for a little down time, then the best thing that you can do is leave him alone. The last thing he would need is his friends there to complicate his thoughts. Give Davis a little time, I'm sure he'll be back soon. Who knows? He might even be a better friend when he returns." The younger kids nodded in agreement. The group dispersed and headed their separate ways. 

Kari walked home with Tai. She couldn't say that that the talk with the older kids had helped. Tai noticed her mood, "Kari, Davis will be fine. You shouldn't worry."

Kari shook her head, "I'm feeling really strange. I used to get so tired of Davis and all the trouble he usually caused. Now that he's gone though, I miss him. I'm really confused."

Tai nodded, "We don't always appreciate our friends until they're not there anymore. Remember when Matt left the group? I began to miss having arguments with him. I began to ask what Matt would do in my situation. I realized that I used to rely on Matt and his arguments to help me stay confident in what I was doing. By defending my actions to Matt, I convinced myself that I was doing the right thing. When Matt left, I lost my safety check, and I began to feel uncomfortable."

Kari nodded, "I remember how stressed you became."

Tai put a hand on Kari's shoulder, "When Davis gets back, I think he would like to hear that you missed him. He doesn't always know that you're just joking with him, and I haven't seen you two do anything together in a long time."

Kari said, "That's because I'm usually doing stuff with TK, and those two never get along." But Tai was right. Kari hadn't spent much time with Davis since TK came back to Odaiba. She have to apologize to Davis when he got back.

_I hope Davis knows what he's gotten into_.

********

_What have I gotten myself into?_ Davis looked up and down the small canyon. There was nowhere to go but up. The only trouble was that Mechanorimon and Raidramon would probably be shot down before they could get away. Then again, Davis wasn't crazy about running away.

Davis took out his D3, "Veemon, let's show these guys who's boss!"

"Wait!" Gennai held up a hand, "We don't know if these Digimon are really threats!" Davis lowered the D3 and watched. He hated to sit and wait! The loud stomping of the approaching creature grew louder. A huge creature lumbered around the corner. _Greymon?_ No, it wasn't the giant Dinosaur Digimon that Davis knew so well, but it looked very similar. It was blue with a white belly, and a big blue V on its chest. It didn't have a bone cap like Greymon, instead, it had a large gray spike on its snout and two horns sticking out the back of its head. 

Veemon identified the Digimon, "Veedramon! He's a Dinosaur Digimon with incredible power! His attacks are Hammer Punch and V-Nova Blast!" Davis looked behind the group to see another Veedramon appear behind them. They were cornered. 

The first Veedramon opened its mouth, "V-Nova Blast!" Blue fire in the form of a V shot out at Davis and the others. 

Davis held up his D3, "Veemon! Show 'em what you got!" The digivice let out a high pitched shriek as Veemon Digivolved into his Champion form.

"Veemon digivolve to… XVmon!" XVmon was basically a larger, burlier version of Veemon. He had a large gray X on his body, and Flamedramon's horn was sticking out of his snout. Two small white wings had grown out of XVmon's back. 

"X Ray!" The X on XVmon's chest glowed white, and a bright red ray shot out of his mouth. The beam of light collided with the V-Nova Blast halfway through the canyon, causing a huge explosion. The walls of the canyon began to fall inward and blocked off one of the Veedramon. XVmon turned to face his other opponent. 

The two Digimon charged and tackled each other as if it the battle were a football game. They stood there, each one straining to gain a hold over the other. Suddenly, XVmon leaned back and freed one arm. A quick punch to the face set the Veedramon off balance. XVmon lifted his adversary up over his head and tossed the Veedramon over the newly created barrier. There was a loud thud as the two Veedramon collided. 

Davis smiled, "Way to go, XVmon!"

An unknown voice spoke, "Yes, very nice." Everyone looked up to see an even larger Digimon descending towards them. At first Davis thought that it was yet another Veedramon, but it was far too large. This thing was as big as MetalGreymon! It looked like a Veedramon, but there were a few differences. The most obvious difference was a large pair of red wings on the creature's back. Its claws were larger, and it had spikes coming out of its elbows. The areas of its body that should have been white were a pale yellow. 

Davis starred at the huge creature. This had to be Veedramon's Ultimate form. XVmon spoke first, "Who are you?"

The giant smiled, "I am AeroVeedramon, the fully digivolved form of Veedramon! I am one of the strongest warriors of the Digital World! My attacks are the V-Wing Blade and the devastating Magnum Crasher." AeroVeedramon settled down on the canyon floor, kicking up a dust cloud as his wings beat to slow his descent. Davis lowered his goggles to see through the cloud of dust. AeroVeedramon towered over XVmon, yet he made no move to strike. 

AeroVeedramon looked down at XVmon. "An XVmon? I never thought I'd see one."

XVmon looked up, "You know me?"

AeroVeedramon laughed, "Know you? We're cousins! Veedramon and XVmon digivolved from similar backgrounds, our two species are related. Now tell me, why are you here?"

Davis spoke up, "We're just passing through the Rock Maze."

AeroVeedramon glanced at Davis, and his eyes changed. They became hateful and malicious. He snarled, "I did not ask you, human!" He gave a quick beat of his right wing, sending a gust of wind towards Davis. Davis was lifted off his feet and sent tumbling down the rocky path. He bumped and rolled along the ground until he finally came to a stop. Davis moaned and tried to get up, but he was too dizzy.

"DAVIS!" XVmon reverted back to Veemon and ran over to his friend. "Davis, are you okay?"

"Ohh, yeah. I'm okay." Davis let Veemon support him upright.

Something dangerous flashed in AeroVeedramon's eyes. "So, you know these outsiders. I cannot tolerate these creatures' presence! Veemon, come away from there and let me deal with the intruders!" 

Veemon glared up at the larger Digimon, "Why do you wanna hurt them?"

AeroVeedramon said, "That is not your concern. Now come away from there!"

"No! I'm staying right here."

AeroVeedramon sighed, "A poor choice." A blue aura appeared around the Dragon-like Digimon. 

A shout suddenly came from above, "Fist of the Beast King!" A huge mass of energy, shaped like a lion's head, came screaming down the canyon side and struck AeroVeedramon in the head. Unprepared for the attack, AeroVeedramon was knocked to the side. 

What looked like a cross between a human and a lion skidded down from the canyon wall. "This way, quickly!" He indicated a way around AeroVeedramon. Davis was too confused to act, but Gennai realized what was happening and scooped Davis and Veemon up with Mechanorimon. They ran right by AeroVeedramon at top speed. The lion-man Digimon followed right behind them. "Fist of the Beast King!" The lion's head jumped from the Digimon's fist and exploded against the rock wall behind the group. In seconds, the passage had been blocked from both sides.

The lion-man caught up with Mechanorimon. "Follow me quickly! That area is too small for AeroVeedramon to successfully lift off, but it will not take him long to dig himself and his companions out." The new Digimon ran faster than anything Davis had seen before. He was already turning the corner and leaving the others in the dust.

Mechanorimon picked up speed then shifted to flight. It followed their guide through a maze rocks, turns, and narrow passages. In the distance, AeroVeedramon let out a roar of sheer anger and frustration. 

********

AeroVeedramon snarled as he pushed and shoved rocks out of the way. The outsiders were escaping! How could he have been so foolish? Letting his guard down like that was inexcusable! 

The rocks finally gave way to reveal the first two Veedramon. AeroVeedramon looked down at his smaller brethren. "We must report back to the Elder. This presents a problem."

A voice came from behind the corner, "Sounds as if you started the problem." Another Veedramon, much larger than the first two, stepped into view. This Veedramon had a long wicked scar dancing across its forehead, a mark that had eared him an undesirable nickname.

AeroVeedramon smiled, "Nothing that we cannot handle, Scar." He took a moment to enjoy the simple pleasure of seeing the other Veedramon trying to contain his annoyance. The scar on the Veedramon's forehead had been an unfortunate accident during his hatching. Veedramon legends told of a scarred Veedramon that would eventually betray his clan for another. Being the bearer of the mark, Scar had been much of an outcast among his clan, and AeroVeedramon used the nickname to remind Scar of his predestined fate at any chance that he got. 

Scar stepped closer, "You three were attacking without provocation. Don't bother denying it, I saw the whole thing."

One of the other Veedramon snapped, "They were outsiders! Intruders! We don't need more of them in here with us."

Scar shook his head, "The Elder would disagree with you. He has sent me to collect all of the clan for yet another meeting." 

AeroVeedramon began to climb up the side of the canyon, "Then let us not keep him waiting. I'll see you there." He took off into the air as soon as he reached the top and headed for the Veedramon meeting place. The other two Veedramon took a different ground route from Scar, leaving him all alone.

********

The group finally stopped running after what seemed like an eternity. Davis got off Mechanorimon, still shaking from the adrenaline rush. He walked up cautiously to the lion-man Digimon. There was something about him, he radiated with power. Davis wasn't sure what to say, "Um… hello, I-I-"

The Digimon looked at his goggles, then at his face. "Tai? No… you're not Tai." Davis was taken aback, this guy knew Tai?

Gennai hopped off Mechanorimon and approached the newest Digimon without hesitation. "It's good to see you again, Leomon."

Leomon looked down, "Gennai! Good to see you again, old friend." He shook Gennai's hand. 

Davis' eyes were the size of saucers. "You two know each other?"

Gennai smiled, "Yes. Leomon and I met during the reign of the Dark Masters. He was doing his best to foul up their plans, and I offered my help whenever I could. By the way, Leomon, I'm pleased to see that you were finally reborn."

Leomon nodded, "My digiegg hatched about a year ago, and I've been retraining ever since. Unfortunately, I've lost the ability to digivolve into SaberLeomon. A result of being deleted and reformatted, I suppose."

Davis' surprise grew, "You were deleted?"

Gennai smiled, "Leomon, I'd like you to meet Davis Motomiya, one of the new Digidestined. Davis, this is Leomon. He's an old friend of the Digidestined. He's known Tai and the others since they first started out on File Island."

Leomon walked up to Davis and offered his hand, "An honor to meet you, Davis. In answer to you question: yes, I have been deleted. I was deleted battling a very powerful Digimon, but I was fortunate enough to be reborn."

Davis looked at Gennai, "Does this mean that Blossomon will be reborn too?"

Gennai bowed his head, "Yes. Blossomon will someday be reborn."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Davis was trapped between elation and anger.

Gennai said, "I didn't want to get your hopes up. It may be a long time before Blossomon is reborn. You may not see him again."

Davis bowed his head. It was hard to find out that his friend wasn't really dead in a way, but that Davis still might never see him again. Davis took a deep breath_, Take good news where you can get it._

Leomon walked over to Veemon. "I've never had a chance to meet a mythical Digimon before. I am pleased to meet you, Veemon."

"Likewise." Veemon shook Leomon's hand. 

Leomon said, "Allow me take you somewhere safe. It's still too dangerous to rest here." Leomon led the troop down a huge canyon, the biggest one yet. Davis peered farther down and saw a small shade of green down farther.

"What's that?"

Leomon smiled, "You shall see." They continued to walk until the green that Davis had spotted came into full view. The canyon walls split in opposite directions to form a huge circular wall around a green field. There was an enormous lake on the far south side with plants and trees growing along the edges. A small cluster of huts had been constructed very near the lake. Davis could see Digimon of various kinds going about their daily business. Leomon said, "Welcome to the Hidden Village."

Veemon echoed, "Hidden Village?" 

"Yes. This is a small village of Digimon that was created by refugees seeking safety from the Digimon Emperor. They all fled into the Rock Maze, and by sheer luck they found this small haven. It's almost impossible to find unless one knows what he is looking for, and there is more than enough water and plant life to feed the community. The walls are high and vertical, making it almost impossible to climb over them. There is only one canyon entrance, which means that it can easily be defended. Air currents make flying into the valley difficult, even dangerous. In other words, this is the perfect defensive location. 

Davis nodded, "So, how come everyone is still hiding here if the Digimon Emperor has been defeated?"

Leomon said, "I will answer your questions once we get to the village. I believe that you could all use some rest after that ordeal." Davis' stomach let out a loud rumble. Leomon laughed, "I see that I am correct."

They walked into the village, and instantly the hellos started coming; or rather, they came at Leomon. 

"Hello, Leomon." 

"Nice to see you, Leomon." 

"I trust you're well, Leomon." Every Digimon that the group passed paid his her or its respects to Leomon, but barely took a second look at the rest of the group. Davis was impressed; everyone seemed to look up to Leomon, but not because he was the tallest. _This is the kind of respect that I wish the other kids would show me._ Davis' opinion of Leomon continued to grow. 

Leomon led everyone to a small area with blankets laid out on the grass. Digimon were sitting in groups and dinning on different kinds of food. Leomon sat at a vacant area, and the others joined him. Mechanorimon was left standing near the entrance to the dining area. 

"Doesn't Mechanorimon need to eat?" Asked Davis.

"Nope," Gennai laughed, "One of the advantages of being a machine Digimon, you never have to eat, just recharge." 

A Pumpkinmon brought bowls of fruit, vegetables, and even some meat to the group. Davis and the others devoured their bowls with ravenous appetites, Leomon was a bit more controlled. When they had finished, Leomon began to explain the current situation. "To start off, I will answer your question, Davis. The villagers here have not left the Rock Maze for two simple reasons. First off, they feel a sense of community, so they have no desire to break up. The second reason is that they can't leave. If they attempted to exit the Maze, the Veedramon would destroy them all."

Davis asked, "Why are the Veedramon attacking them?"

Leomon shook his head, "I cannot say. I stumbled upon the Hidden Village shortly after I had been reborn. I was on a quest to find my rival, Ogremon, so that we could finish our fated duel. However, when I came to the village I could see that I was needed. The villagers were living in constant fear from Veedramon attacks. They had nearly lost everything. Seeing the injustice caused by the Veedramon, I decided to stay here and train while protecting the Village from attack. Sadly, I am not strong enough to defeat all the Veedramon, but I am able to keep them from harming the village and any Digimon unfortunate enough to enter the Maze."

Gennai frowned, "I'm surprised that so many Veedramon live in the Maze. They are an ancient race that I thought to be extinct. I'm also surprised how violent they've become. Veedramon are usually kind and righteous defenders of the weak."

Leomon shook his head, "I wish I knew. I have been unable to speak with the leader of their clan. Usually, an elder Veedramon or AeroVeedramon is the leader of the Veedramon clan, only he can give the order to attack other Digimon."

Davis said, "What about the AeroVeedramon that we saw?"

Leomon frowned, "That was not the Veedramon elder. I am sure that the AeroVeedramon that we saw is a subordinate to the elder. However, he does seem to be the most eager to battle."

Gennai sighed, "How sad that the Veedramon have turned into such a monstrous race of bullies."

Davis stood up, "Picking on the villagers! That's just cold! Let's go find them and take 'em down!"

Leomon said, "There are more than just the two Veedramon and the AeroVeedramon that we encountered. A frontal attack would be disastrous. It would damage the Rock Maze and endanger the village!" Davis' shoulders slumped and he sat back down, embarrassed for exploding like that. 

Leomon continued, "I think it would be best for you to stay here tonight. I will escort you out of the Maze tomorrow. I cannot ask you to involve yourselves in my battle." Leomon held up a hand to stop Davis' protest before it started. "You have no quarrel with the Veedramon, you should not get involved. Now, I would like to know why you three are here." Davis began to explain his story.

********

Deeper into the Rock Maze, there was another circular area. This one was the gathering place for all Veedramon. AeroVeedramon looked up at his clan's leader. The elder was also an AeroVeedramon, but of much greater age. His skin was paler, and his eyes were not as focused. Sadly, the Elder had lost his fighting spirit a long time ago, and he left battles up to the younger Veedramon. However, his knowledge and wisdom was unsurpassed within the clan. If AeroVeedramon could get the Elder to see why the foreigner village was a threat, then he would have the support of the whole clan. Even Scar wouldn't be able to oppose him. 

The Elder spoke, "My brethren, it is time for us to reconsider the path which we travel upon. Our conflict with the Hidden Village is taking a toll on both our home and our hearts." He looked at Scar, "What have you to say?" The Elder was one of the few members of the clan who did not allow the legend of the scar to influence his opinion of the marked Veedramon.

Scar looked out at the assembled Digimon, "Today, AeroVeedramon and two Veedramon of our clan attacked a band of travelers who had just entered the Maze. This attack was completely unprovoked and resulted in the collapse of the canyon walls. Furthermore, our clan members have been increasingly harassing Digimon who have entered the Maze, but are not members of the Hidden Village."

AeroVeedramon protested, "They were outsiders and so they are unwelcome here!"

Scar looked AeroVeedramon in the eyes, "Our clan has been attacking innocents for far too long. This conflict never would have begun had you not attacked the Hidden Village without provocation!"  
AeroVeedramon roared, "They have built their village in our grazing area! They are using our watering hole! This violation of our territory cannot be ignored."

The Elder spoke, "You're too thirsty for battle, AeroVeedramon. It is possible that the villagers did not know that the lake was our ancestral waterhole. We could have spoken to them, but your attack has caused them to flee at the sight of Veedramon!" 

AeroVeedramon bowed his head at the Elders reprimand, but he quickly spoke again, "And what of the humans? I saw two humans in that band! Let us not forget what the Digimon Emperor did to our clan!" A murmur of fear rippled through the assembled Veedramon.

"SILENCE!" The Elder bellowed. "I do not pretend to forget that the Digimon Emperor kidnapped and enslaved several of our clan, but we cannot hold all humans accountable for his evil deeds. Remember, it was the human Digidestined that defeated the Emperor."

AeroVeedramon retorted, "And where were these Digidestined when the Emperor attacked us? I say that no human can be trusted. Our clan stands alone!" 

Scar said, "We were once the defenders of the Digital World, yet you and those like you seek to have us isolate ourselves from the rest of the world!"  
AeroVeedramon snarled, "All other Digimon were too weak to help us, and they came to rely upon us for ever conceivable problem. Such weak creatures are beneath our concern."

"Enough!" The Elder ended the argument. "We took an oath long ago to wait for the time when we would be able to defend this realm again. Until then, we are to watch over our ancestral home, the Rock Maze. However, I forbid any more attacks without my expressed permission. This meeting is now over!" The Elder punctuated the decree by smashing a rock with his tail. All the Veedramon bowed and began to leave. 

AeroVeedramon took flight and traveled to a dark corner of the maze. He needed time to think. Why couldn't the elder see the truth? For all his wisdom, the Elder was still ruled by his soft heart! Creatures who were too weak to fight on their own were useless! 

"You have a problem, yes?" AeroVeedramon looked down. Some kind of Digimon in a strange cloak had appeared out of nowhere. Something about this creature made AeroVeedramon uneasy. 

"Who are you?"

"I am a friend who can help you. I can help you to get the other Veedramon to see the right way."

********

Davis rolled over in his sleeping bag again and again, but he couldn't get to sleep. Gennai and Veemon, on the other hand, were comfortably snoring in a deep sleep. Davis just couldn't rest tonight. He decided to burn some energy by walking, so he got up and dressed. 

The air was wonderfully cool, and the sky twinkled with countless stars. Davis just stood there and admired the beauty of the place. He'd never gotten a chance to appreciate the beauty of the Digital World because he'd always been fighting at the time. _I'm glad I chose to do this_. Davis had felt relief by resigning himself to work on being Kari and TK's friend rather than trying to fight for Kari's heart. That conflict had been a major pain to him. TK was a cool guy, he just seemed to always wind up on Davis' bad side. Davis still cared about Kari, a lot, but now he knew that was because of the friendship they had developed since he moved to Odaiba. He didn't want to jeopardize that friendship by being a jerk. 

Davis was also glad that he had been given the chance to meet Gennai and Blossomon. Davis would always treasure the friendship that they had shared. However, Davis was still going to find out if Blossomon had been controlled that night in Meadow Town.

Davis began walking down through the village. Everyone was asleep, except for one Digimon. Leomon was standing just outside the village. He had his short sword out, and was jumping and slashing through the air, as if he were fighting an invisible foe. Davis approached slowly, he didn't want Leomon to think that Davis was a threat and slice his head off. 

Leomon detected Davis' approach. "Good evening, Davis. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I can't seem to calm down enough to sleep." Davis stood there and watched Leomon. 

Leomon asked, "I noticed that you are wearing Tai's goggles, are you related?"

Davis laughed slightly. "No. He gave them too me when I became a Digidestined. He's kinda my idol." Davis remembered the pride that he had felt when Tai had given Davis his goggles, shortly after Davis had saved Kari's life.

Leomon smiled, "It's good to have a role model. But eventually, we all have to learn to fight our own way. That's a lesson I had to learn a long time ago. Davis was completely in awe of Leomon. This Digimon was so incredible. His strength, his power, the respect that he got, it was exactly what Davis wished he could be. Leomon noticed the look Davis was giving him, "Would you like to spar?"

Davis' eyes tripled in size, "WHAT? Spar?"

Leomon smiled, "Yes, spar. If you'll look behind you, you'll see some wooden poles leaning against a hut. I made those to train the villagers to fight. There should be one that suits you." Davis walked over to an array of wooden poles. He chose one that was about as long as a sword. Leomon already had a massive stick designed to be the exact length and weight of his short-sword. 

Davis walked up to Leomon, but he hesitated, "Why do you want to do this?"

Leomon said, "One of the best ways to understand someone is to fight them. Emotions are focused during a fight. If you learn to read those emotions, then you can understand you opponents." Davis wasn't sure he understood, but it was true that he got really emotional during a fight. 

"But what if I hurt you?"

Leomon laughed, "If you do hurt me, then I've definitely not been training hard enough. I assure you, Davis, no one will be hurt." Davis shrugged and took up an offensive stance. Leomon braced himself for Davis' attack. Davis rushed forward and swung his staff at Leomon's midsection. Leomon countered the blow and pushed forward to knock Davis off balance. 

Leomon commented, "Let me guess, you've been considered somewhat reckless in the past."

"How can you tell?" Davis rushed forward again.

Leomon countered several of Davis' attacks and tripped him with one swift kick. Davis hit the ground and rolled backwards. Leomon said, "You rush in and attack head-on. That is a trait of a reckless warrior." Davis got up and charged again, fire in his eyes. Leomon dodged several strikes, "Now I see that you seek revenge against those who act unjustly towards you and others. But you must remember, Davis, revenge is a fool's game!" Leomon took up a ready stance and waited for Davis to get closer. Davis swung hard at Leomon's chest. Leomon brought his staff up and knocked Davis' stick away. He then brought his staff down and held it against Davis' neck. Had it been an actual fight, Davis would have been at Leomon's mercy. 

Leomon looked into Davis' eyes. They were shimmering with unshed tears, and an intense feeling of failure. Leomon said, "That look you're giving me now tells me that you don't handle losing very well." He lowered his staff. "Davis, you have to gain control over your emotions, otherwise you'll never become a great Digidestined."

Davis bowed his head, "I-I want to be strong, like you are…"

Leomon placed a hand on Davis' shoulder, "True strength comes from the heart. When you find your own inner strength, you'll surpass even my powers. You are a Digidestined after all."

Davis shook his head, "No I'm not. I'm not strong. I couldn't save Blossomon, and I'm a joke to my friends." Davis explained why he had gone on walkabout, and what had happened to Blossomon. Davis clenched his fist, "I was so useless! If I'm so strong, how come I need Veemon to fight the evil Digimon for me?"

Leomon said, "You're confusing brute force with true power. You'd be surprised at what a strong will can achieve. All of the Digidestined are incredibly strong willed, and that is why they defeated all the evil Digimon."

Davis asked, "But how do I become strong?"

Leomon replied, "There is no one true way to becoming strong. All I can advise is to follow your instincts."

Davis' voice was barely above a whisper, "My instincts always get me in trouble."

Leomon shook his head, "Instincts never lead one wrong. It is impulses that deceive us."

"Impulses?"

"Impulses are the urges that arise within us when a situation occurs, but instincts lead us down the correct path. We often fail to distinguish between impulses and instincts." Leomon motioned for Davis to walk back towards the village. "Learn to distinguish between instincts and impulses, and you will achieve power that most villains can only dream of."

********

"Veemon," the Digimon stirred a little. Davis shook his shoulder, "c'mon Veemon, wake up!" 

Veemon's eyes slowly opened, "Davis?"

Davis smiled, "Let's get going. I have an idea." He led Veemon outside and they exited the village.

"Where are we going?"

Davis smiled, "We're going to find the Veedramon Elder, and get him to stop attacking this place."

"WHAT?" Davis clamped a hand over Veemon's mouth to keep him from shouting.

"SHH! Quiet!" He took a deep breath, "Look, Veemon, I can't just leave these people hanging, I've gotta do something to help. And this is a great way to make myself stronger. If I can end all of this without having to actually fight, then I'll know I'm a lot stronger than before, right?"

"Um…" Veemon couldn't think of an answer. Finally he said, "Okay, where you go, I go!"

Davis smiled, "Thanks buddy! All we have to do is find a Veedramon, and then we'll follow it back to the Elder." 

"But what if we get lost?"

"You can armor digivolve into Raidramon, and we can fly up to see where the Hidden Village is." Davis gave himself a mental pat on the back for thinking up that solution. "Now, let's go!" 

********

Leomon patrolled through the village, making sure that everything was in order. He came upon the small hut that Davis and his companions were resting in. Mechanorimon stood like a statue outside. Leomon poked his head in to make sure that all was well. Davis and Veemon were not there. Leomon thought for a moment. He would have seen them in the village, so that could only mean that they were somewhere else. Realization came two seconds later.

_Davis, you're too eager to prove yourself_. Leomon sniffed the ground and picked up the scent of Davis and Veemon. He'd have to hurry.

********

Finding a Veedramon had been surprisingly easy. This Veedramon would be easy to follow. He was moving slowly, and he seemed to be heading towards a specific location. Davis couldn't help but notice the big scar on the Veedramon's head. That had to have hurt.

The Veedramon walked down canyon after canyon. Pretty soon, Davis was unsure just where they were. He sure hoped that Raidramon would be able to help him find their way back to the Hidden Village. Turning his attention back to the Veedramon, Davis saw that they were heading towards a large circular area. There was a small cluster of rocks running along the wall, just big enough to conceal Davis and Veemon. Davis motioned for Veemon to follow him, and they quickly ran under cover behind the rocks. 

The Veedramon that they had followed walked up and bowed to a really old AeroVeedramon. That had to be the Elder. The Veedramon said, "Elder, I feel that you should be more cautious about AeroVeedramon."

"Really? And why is that?"

"Because, his thirst for battle is making him irrational. I think that his ambition will soon surpass his loyalty."

The Elder shook his head, "Without trust, a clan cannot survive. Until I see proof of AeroVeedramon's ambition, I will consider him to be a trustworthy brother, just as I consider you the same."

The Veedramon bowed his head, "I only worry for your safety, Elder." Just then, 

AeroVeedramon marched into the area. "Elder, may I speak to you alone?"

The Elder nodded. He looked at the scarred Veedramon, "Please leave us for now." The Veedramon bowed again and left, throwing a disdainful look at AeroVeedramon on his way out. AeroVeedramon returned the glare.

Davis watched AeroVeedramon approach the Elder. "Elder, is there no way to convince you that we must remove the outsiders who have stolen our home?"

The Elder shook his head, "We will reclaim our home, but not through a massacre!"

AeroVeedramon said, "But I can win! There will be no loss of clan members!"

The Elder sighed, "I have no doubt that you can succeed, AeroVeedramon. But I am referring to a massacre on the part of the villagers. It is not a Veedramon's way to take innocent lives, we defend them!"

AeroVeedramon sighed, "I can see that you will never be persuaded. I do this with regret…" A blue aura began to shine around AeroVeedramon body. He closed his eyes.

"AeroVeedramon?"

His eyes snapped open. "V-Wing Blade!" A fiery blue V soared from AeroVeedramon's body and hurled itself at the Elder. The older AeroVeedramon was sent sprawling by the huge explosion. AeroVeedramon said, "I am sorry, but for the sake of our clan, your life must end."

The Elder looked back at his betrayer, "You are making a mistake. You're desire for blood will bring your own death." Davis and Veemon stared in horror at the event unfolding before them.

AeroVeedramon's body began to glow blue again. "Magnum Crasher!" AeroVeedramon flew forward at the Elder. He collided in a head-butt and released all his energy into the Elder's body. The Elder shrieked in pain as it fell back. AeroVeedramon landed in a crouch, then stood up. "Forgive me, Elder."

A voice came from the shadows, "Excellent work, my friend." The cloaked figure emerged. 

"Veemon!" Davis whispered, "That's the guy I saw at Meadow Town!" Davis couldn't believe what he was seeing, he was too stunned to move.

AeroVeedramon looked down. "How did you get here?"

"I have my ways. Now, I will relieve you of the Elder." The cloaked figure approached the fallen AeroVeedramon. The figure's left eye began to glow red. The Elder moaned in pain as his body began to twitch and spasm. Suddenly, the Elder's body exploded into a cloud of data bits. The bits swirled into the dark figure's hood, where it sounded as if they were devoured.

Davis' fists began to tremble. "I can't believe it! He just killed his own clan member!"

The cloaked figure whirled. "Someone's there!"  
"What?" AeroVeedramon began to charge to where Davis and Veemon were hiding.

Davis' heart stopped, "Oh man! Digiarmor energize!"  
"Veemon armor digivolve to… Raidramon: The Light of Friendship!" Davis mounted his Digimon and they took off for the exit. This plan had just gone down the drain.

"Don't let them escape!" The cloaked figure vanished back into the shadows. AeroVeedramon charged after Raidramon, intent on keeping his crime a secret. Davis and Raidramon rushed down the canyon, only to see a herd of Veedramon marching towards them.

A shout came from behind, "Don't let them escape! They killed the Elder!" Davis was stunned, AeroVeedramon was framing them for killing the Elder? Judging from the looks on the Veedramon's faces, they were more inclined to believe AeroVeedramon than Davis.

The accusations started to fly, "Killer!"

"Murderer!"

"Destroy them!"

"V-Nova Blast!" All of the Veedramon began firing their trademark Vs at Raidramon. He jumped and dodged as best as he could, but Raidramon could only dodge for so long. Sooner or later, Davis knew that they were going to die. 

"Fist of the Beast King!" Several Veedramon fell from a blow to their backs. Leomon jumped over their bodies and continued to clear a path for Davis. "Davis, Raidramon, this way!" Raidramon didn't need a second invitation.

"Stop them!" AeroVeedramon powered up, "V-Wing Blade!" The blast of fire soared into the night sky and screamed down towards Raidramon and Leomon.

"Davis, watch out!" Leomon shoved Raidramon away from the blast area. The V collided with the ground and a crater was born in smoke and fire. Leomon vanished in the blast. Raidramon and Davis fell to the ground. Raidramon reverted back to Veemon

"LEOMON!" Davis got up and ran back to where Leomon had been. 

"Davis, wait!" Veemon followed. Davis could see Leomon. He was lying face down on the ground, his back had countless burns and cuts. _He might even be dead_. Davis' guts turned to jello at the thought of losing another friend. 

He skidded to a stop next to Leomon. "Leomon! Speak to me!"

Leomon opened his eyes and spoke in a strained voice, "Davis… you must get away from here." 

Davis shook his head frantically, "No! I'm not leaving you."

"V-Nova Blast!" A shot came from behind Davis and detonated against the canyon's side. A rockslide began and quickly blocked the path, cutting off the attacking Veedramon. Davis turned around. The scarred Veedramon was standing behind them. 

"Come with me." He reached down and picked up Davis, Veemon, and Leomon. "I will take you back to the Hidden Village."

Davis looked up, "Why?" 

The Veedramon was silent for a moment, "I have my reasons." He took off at a run. Behind the rock barrier, the other Veedramon roared in outrage and sadness at the loss of the leader.

AeroVeedramon could be heard, "This is not over! We will decimate your home, murderer!"

********

Davis held his head in his hands and looked down at his reflection. He was sitting at the lakeshore near the village. Veedramon had returned them to the village, as promised. Leomon had been rushed to a Digimon healer, leaving Davis alone to consider what he had done. How could he have been so stupid? Leomon could be dying because of him! It his fault… all his fault…

Davis brought a fist down on his reflection's face. "It's all my fault. I screwed up. I TOTALLY SCREWED UP!"

"Yes, you did." Gennai walked up and stood over Davis.

Davis looked at him with shimmering eyes, but he wouldn't allow himself to cry. "I know I blew it."

Gennai sighed, "What you did was stupid and reckless. Fortunately, Leomon will recover, but he's going to need to have a lot of rest. Leomon are known to regenerate quickly, but he'll still need about a full day before he can even hope to fight again." Gennai shook his head, "But the Veedramon will most assuredly attack before then." 

Davis whispered, "It's all my fault… All my fault. All my fault…" 

"Davis, stand up." Davis did so. Gennai gave him a backhanded slap across the face. 

"Gennai…" Davis rubbed his cheek and looked at Gennai is complete surprise.

Gennai said, "Consider yourself punished. Now, Leomon has asked to see you. Don't keep him waiting."

******** 

Davis hesitantly approached Leomon's bed. "Leomon? I'm here."

Leomon stirred, "Davis, good. Please come closer." His voice was weak and strained. It was obvious that he was in a lot of pain.

It all came blurting out of Davis' mouth, "Leomon, I'm sorry. I was so stupid, going off alone like that. You could have died because of me! I'm so stupid! I'M SORRY!"

"Davis, be silent!" Leomon raised a giant hand, Davis took it in his much smaller hands. Leomon said, "Davis, I do not hold any ill will over what you have done. I have made much more foolish mistakes in the past. But what you did was an impulse, not an instinct. Do you see the difference now?" Davis nodded. "Good. Then this lesson has not been wasted. Davis, I have a request to make of you."

"Name it. Anything!"

Leomon smiled slightly, "I need you to defend this village against the Veedramon attack. I know you can do this for me."

Davis' eyes widened in horror. "No… no! I-I can't! I'm weak, and stupid, and useless! You'd all be better off if I had never come!"

"No. You are wrong, Davis. You have more power than you realize. I know that you can save this village. You have the power within you."

"No I don't!"

"YOU DO!" Leomon winced after his shout. He continued in a much quieter voice. "If you can discover your true power, the source of all your strength, then you can overcome this challenge. Defend the village Davis, I know you can do it." Davis could only nod. He owed it to Leomon to protect the village while he recovered.

********

"I'm sorry, Veemon." Davis kicked a stone. They were sitting at the mouth to the entrance of the canyon that led to the village. "I got you involved in all of this."

"Davis," Veemon's voice was sympathetic, "I'm your Digimon, wherever you go, I go. I'd flow you anywhere." Davis could only smile in gratitude.

Veemon turned towards the other member of their band. "Why are you here, Veedramon?"

The scarred Veedramon looked down at them, "I do not believe AeroVeedramon's story that you killed the Elder. I know that he did it. I cannot let him disgrace my clan by leading them into massacring a helpless village. I'll fight beside you, because I have no choice."

Davis smiled up at him, "Thanks for your help." Veedramon only snorted. 

Veemon's ears twitched, "Davis, something's coming!" Davis jumped up and listened. A low mechanical noise was moving closer. Davis watched the corner behind them, where the sound was coming from. Mechanorimon marched into view with Gennai waving his hand.

"Gennai? What are you doing here."

Gennai smiled at Davis, "I'm here to help. I can't say that I'll make much of a difference, but Mechanorimon and I can hold our own for a while."

"Thanks." Davis looked at Gennai with grateful eyes. 

Gennai said, "Davis, shake it off. No one hates you for what happened. You're our friend, and we'll stay by your side to the end."

Davis smiled again, but it quickly vanished. It felt good to have his friends and a new ally standing by his side, but the odds were looking bad. The Veedramon outnumbered them almost four to one, and Leomon couldn't help this time. This begged the question:

__

What am I gonna do?

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Well, things aren't looking too good for Davis. How is he going to beat the misguided Veedramon clan and save Hidden Village? You'll have to wait for Day 6.


	6. Day 6

Walkabout

Day 6: Digivolve into Ultimate!

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I don't own the show Digimon, or any affiliated characters.*

Authors Note: Sorry it took so long to get another chapter out. Midterms are a "slow and painful death". Before getting started, I just want to mention that I've updated Days 1-5. All I've really changed are some names and attacks, along with just a little more background information. These changes come from the Digimon Movie, and the TV episode "The Storm of Friendship," both of which are very cool. Veemon's second armor form is Raidramon, not Lightdramon, and his attack is Blue Thunder. His In-Training form is Demiveemon, not the Japanese name of Chibimon. 

There's also the usual thanks to all my readers and critics. I've gotten a few quotes from people that I will be using later on in the story. The info used for the Ultimate Level Digimon in this part was provided by either the Digimon Card Game, or by Megchan's Digimon Sekai. 

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"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."   
-Ambrose Redmoon

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."   
-Muhammad Ali

Davis rubbed his hands, trying to get a little warmth in them. It was early in the morning and the Sun still hadn't risen. Things were still looking bad. Mechanorimon was scanning for approaching Digimon, but there was no sign of the Veedramon clan. Davis and Veemon had tried to get some sleep, but the fear of attack and the cold air kept them from getting any rest. Gennai was sitting near Mechanorimon, looking as calm as ever. The scarred Veedramon just stood there like an immobile statue, watching. 

The silence was getting to be too much for Davis. He kept thinking about Leomon and Blossomon, two friends that he'd failed to help. Davis called up to the Veedramon, "Excuse me, but, do you have a different name than Veedramon?"

The giant Digimon looked down, "Why would that be important?"

Davis shrugged, "If I need to get your attention during the fight, then I'll have to call you something else besides 'Veedramon.'"

The Veedramon scowled, "My clan members call me 'Scar.'"

Veemon looked puzzled at Scar's expression, "What's wrong with that name? It sounds kinda cool."

Scar brought his head down swiftly and glared right at Veemon and Davis. "This mark on my head is a curse. Veedramon legends tell of a Veedramon with a scar on his forehead, just like mine. That scar will reach all the way down to his heart, and he will betray his clan. AeroVeedramon gave me this name in order to remind me of my predetermined fate."

Davis said, "But you haven't betrayed your clan!"

Scar sent a snort out of his nostrils. The hot air blew right over Davis and Veemon. "I am about to wage war upon my brethren for the sake of outsiders. How is that not betrayal?"

Davis stood up, "Because you're doing it to keep your clan from making a mistake! You haven't betrayed them, you're just working to stop them! Besides, I say you shouldn't let all those hokey myths effect how you act!"

Scar lifted his head away from Davis, surprised by the firmness in the boy's voice. Gennai said, "Veedramon are superstitious by nature. It's hard to ignore a clan's predictions."

Davis retorted, "But ya can't just leave everything up to destiny. That's like surrendering your life! Look, a lot of people at my school say that two of my friends, TK and Kari, and _destined _for each other. But I don't believe that. If they were destined to be together, then there'd be a legend about it somewhere! I don't remember anything saying that the Digidestined had to pair up a certain way! I'm still going to try and win Kari over!"

Veemon asked, "So you still haven't given up on Kari?"

Davis said, "No way! I mean, I'm still going to try and be a better friend to both TK and Kari, but I'm no way am I bowing out yet!" 

Scar rolled his eyes, "You're comparing my fate to a love triangle?"

Davis continued, "It's still the same thing! If you just roll over and let destiny decide for you, then you've given up on controlling your life! What's the point in that?" Davis took a deep breath. "Anyway, it's obvious you don't like the nickname 'Scar.' So how about a different name… How about Vee?"

Scar's head snapped down. "Vee?"

Davis shrugged, "Best I can do on short notice. Vee for Veedramon!"

Scar laughed. This was an interesting human, "Very well. You may call me Vee."

Davis asked, "Okay, Vee, can you please tell me just why the Veedramon want to take over the Hidden Village?"

Scar, or rather, Vee, said, "This Rock Maze has been my clan's ancestral home for years. We were once the defenders of the Digital World during its darkest hours. However, Digimon came to rely on us too much, and we realized that good Digimon were becoming too soft to defend themselves. It was decided that our clan would hide in the Rock Maze, and wait for a time when we were truly needed. We would have emerged to battle the Dark Masters and the Emperor, but we learned of you Digidestined and so we decided to let fate run its course. The lake that the Hidden Village uses as a water supply is our watering hole. The only other water source is the lake near Meadow Town, and that's too small to fill the needs of our clan. We need the Hidden Village lake in order to survive!"

Gennai asked, "Then why did you attack first?"

Vee said, "AeroVeedramon was the first to attack. He made a hotheaded decision and attacked the village in a fit of rage when he saw that the village had taken over the valley. We've been too afraid of Leomon's counterattack to try and contact the village ever since then." Davis shook his head. Both sides had been too afraid to talk, and now there was going to be war.

Suddenly, Mechanorimon let out a high pitched shriek and began jumping up and down. Gennai shouted, "They're coming!" 

********

AeroVeedramon smelled the air. It was sweet and filled with the energy of warriors anticipating battle. All twenty Veedramon had assembled in the largest canyon for the assault on the Hidden Village. Soon the water hole would be theirs again. AeroVeedramon was about to go and join his clan when he heard a slight shuffling. 

"I see that you are doing well." AeroVeedramon jumped and whirled around. That cloaked freak had done it again, he'd appeared out of nowhere!

"What do you want?" AeroVeedramon couldn't prove it, but he was sure that there was a smile under that cloak. 

The figure said, "I want you to take some captives during this battle. I will deal with them as I did with the AeroVeedramon Elder. That is the price for my silence about your betrayal of your Elder."

AeroVeedramon snarled. "You dare blackmail me?"

"Indeed I do. That is the price you must pay for my service. And don't even think about destroying me, the scope of my powers are far beyond your imagination." The figure stood there for a moment, looking smug. Then he bent forward, and a withered hand went to his chest. He began to have trouble breathing, and his body trembled.

AeroVeedramon smiled. "You don't look so powerful now."

The figure gasped, "A momentary lapse in power. I must rest. But remember, I want captives to feast upon!" The figure vanished back into the shadows. AeroVeedramon disliked his "partner's" new course of action, but he had no trouble with handing the villagers over to the cloaked freak as a buffet. They deserved it.

AeroVeedramon turned to rejoin the group. A stray bit of data rose in front of his eye. Even more small bits were drifting up into the sky. Was something being deleted? AeroVeedramon shrugged. It wasn't his concern. He took off at a running stride. It was time to lead his clan to victory!

********

Gennai called back, "Davis, if you're going to call the other Digidestined for help, now's the time to do it." Davis considered for a moment. The portal to the Digital World closed at night, and didn't open again until later morning. By the time the others found their way to the Digital World and navigated the Rock Maze, it would be too late. Whatever was going to happen would have happened.

Davis said, "They won't get here in time. We'll just have to do this on our own." This was a problem, without TK and Kari, Veemon couldn't digivolve into Magnamon. Davis wished he could have Magnamon's power on hand right now. "Veemon, let's go Champion!"

"Right! Veemon digivolve to… XVmon!" XVmon stood right next to Vee, and Mechanorimon took point between the two larger Digimon.

Gennai gave the order, "Seal off the canyon! That will slow them down!" 

"V-Nova Blast!" 

"X Ray!"

Mechanorimon pressed its claws together and spoke in a monotone mechanical voice, "Twin Beam." A red burst of energy shot out of its ruby. The three attacks soared in and decimated the canyon sides, causing an avalanche. A cloud of dust filled the canyon, then settled to reveal a new stone wall of rubble. 

"Nice!" Davis smiled.

Vee shook his head. "That won't stop them. They'll be through in a moment." The shouts of "V-Nova Blast" came from beyond the wall, and large explosions blossomed through the rubble. Davis held up his arms to shield his face from a hail of rubble. Vee looked at Davis and said, "You should leave. You'll just get hurt!"

Davis face fell. There was no way he was going to run away, "I caused this mess! I'm going to help fix it!"

"But you can't even fight!"

Davis protested, "Yes I can!" Vee's response was lost in the sound of another explosion. Davis looked back over. Several gaps had formed in the rubble wall, and Veedramon were starting to pour through. XVmon ran forward and decked the first Veedramon to emerge from the other side. Vee charged as well and began attacking Veedramon on the other half of the wall. Mechanorimon and Gennai were jumping back and forth, firing twin beams at the other Veedramon behind the gaps. Davis frowned as he realized that there really wasn't anything that he could do. He couldn't attack, he couldn't defend all he could do was watch! _What am I doing here?_

Leomon's voice entered Davis' head. _"You're confusing brute force with true power. You'd be surprised at what a strong will can achieve."_But what good was a strong will now? It wasn't like he could will the Veedramon to go away!

Davis noticed that the Veedramon in the back were stepping aside. His skin paled when AeroVeedramon stepped into view. AeroVeedramon bellowed, "How can you let one traitor and two weaklings slow you down? I'll show you how to fight! V-Wing Blade!" The blue fire V leaped into the air and touched down on the other side of the barrier. Davis was thrown clear back by the force of the ensuing explosion. He bounced and rolled on the ground until he came to an uncomfortable stop against a boulder. Davis winced and looked up. All of his companions had been knocked down by that one attack. Mechanorimon lay twitching on the ground near the canyon wall. Gennai was unconscious beside it. XVmon was lying down in the middle of the canyon, stunned. Vee was closest to Davis and was lying on his belly. 

"Vee! Vee, wake up!" Davis ran up to the fallen Veedramon. _Not again! Please, I don't want any more of my friends to be hurt_. The faces of a dying Blossomon and a wounded Leomon kept flashing in front of Davis' eyes. Davis shook the Veedramon's head. "Vee, come on! Get up!"

Vee opened his eye slightly, "Davis, you have to run. You can't help. It's stupid to stay here and risk death for nothing."

Tears burned in Davis' eyes, but he wouldn't allow them to flow. "NO! I'm not leaving. You guys are my friends! I can't just abandon you!" 

"LEAVE!" Vee hissed.

Davis balled up his fists. "NO! I'd rather die than leave my friends!" Davis' D3 began to shriek louder than he had ever heard it before. Davis had to cover his ears with his hands as the digivice fell the ground, right next to Veedramon. White light poured out of the small screen and rippled across Vee's body.

Vee slowly stood up. "W-what's happening to me?" His eyes suddenly widened, and words exploded from his mouth. "Veedramon digivolve to… AeroVeedramon!" Vee's body glowed pure white and began to grow. Wings sprouted out of his back, and his body began to change into a familiar form. The light died, and an AeroVeedramon with a scar on his forehead stood where a Veedramon had been only moments before.

********

AeroVeedramon starred at Scar in utter amazement. He had digivolved into and Ultimate! How was that possible? The human… A strange light had emitted from that human just before Scar had digivolved. Was it possible that a human could make a Digimon digivolve? _Can he turn me into a MEGA?_ The very thought made AeroVeedramon shudder. A Mega level Digimon: the greatest plateau of power to ever be reached! 

Scar's body began to glow blue. It was a lighter shade of blue than AeroVeedramon used in his own attacks. Did that say something about AeroVeedramon's powers?

"V-Wing Blade!" Scar sent streak after streak of blue energy at the oncoming clan. _THE TRAITOR!_ None of the Veedramon were hurt by the blasts, but they were being pushed back.

AeroVeedramon powered up, "V-Wing Blade!" He countered with an attack of his own. Explosions sounded from above as the twin attacks collided. AeroVeedramon looked across the gap and smiled at his old rival. Scar flapped his newly acquired wings and took to the air. AeroVeedramon followed suit; he was going to enjoy this. 

The two AeroVeedramon soared in at each other. They clashed and began to claw and bite at each other while trying to stay in the air. Wounds were torn open, blasts of energy filled the sky, and the shriek of the two competitors filled every canyon.

Finally, the two AeroVeedramon broke apart. Scar's body began to glow again, "Magnum Crasher!" He flew strait in at his enemy.

AeroVeedramon smiled and summoned his own power, "Magnum Crasher!" 

********

Davis watched the two blue comets collide. There was a blinding flash and a huge thunderclap. Davis covered his ears and closed his eyes. What was happening here? The world was suddenly going berserk! 

Davis blinked his eyes a few times as they focused to the reduced light. One of the two AeroVeedramon was lying on the ground, wounded from the attack. He had a scar on his forehead. "Oh no…" Davis whispered, "Vee!" Davis ran up to his friend. They were very close to XVmon now, who was still recovering from the first blast. 

Vee's body glowed white again, and he somehow reverted back to Veedramon. Vee moaned, "Ugh, what happened?"

Davis shook his head, "I don't know. You digivolved, and now you're a Veedramon again." He looked over at his partner, "XVmon, talk to me!"

XVmon growled, "Five more minutes, please mom?" Davis would have found that line funny if the situations had been different. Veemon had definitely been hanging around Davis too long. 

AeroVeedramon marched up to his fallen adversaries. "Human! Tell me how you made Scar digivolve!"

Davis looked up. "W-what?" He had made Vee digivolve? Was that possible? Davis had been too surprised to actually analyze the situation. 

AeroVeedramon snarled, "Don't play dumb! You made Scar digivolve! I want you to do the same for me!"

Davis' jaw hit the floor. AeroVeedramon wanted to become a Mega. That was a terrifying thought. Davis wasn't even sure how he had digivolved Vee, it had just happened. _AeroVeedramon will kill us all if I can't deliver, but I even if I could digivolve a Digimon at will, I'd never turn him into a Mega. But he'll kill everyone if I don't; what'll I do? What would Tai do?_

Leomon's voice was heard again, _"It's good to have a role model. But eventually, we all have to learn to fight our own way." _The truth of that statement finally reached Davis' mind. In one of the most symbolic acts of his life, Davis reached up and yanked Tai's goggles off his head. Tai wasn't here. Davis would have to do things his own way. He looked around quickly, trying to think of a plan. _I still hate planning!_ There was a small gap in the canyon wall, just big enough for Davis to squeeze through. A plan formed in Davis' head. 

He shouted up to AeroVeedramon, "Yeah, I made Vee digivolve! But why should I help you?"

AeroVeedramon puzzled over who Vee was, but instead of asking, he said, "Because I can kill you with one bit, pitiful creature!"

Davis smiled, "Good point. Tell ya what, you catch me, and the digivolving is yours!" Davis sprinted for the gap and was in the adjacent canyon sooner than he could have dreamed. 

AeroVeedramon laughed, "A hunt! Wonderful! Wait for me, my brothers. This won't take long." He climbed over the canyon wall and flew off in pursuit of Davis.

********

Vee watched the Davis and AeroVeedramon leave. Why had Davis run like that after being so adamant about staying? "He's a coward!" Vee snarled. It was one thing to leave before a fight, but to run after swearing to stay…

XVmon pushed himself off, "You're wrong. Davis is leading AeroVeedramon away to give us more time. He's putting himself in danger to save the rest of us."

Vee chuckled, "Then he's worse than a coward. He's a fool. A heroic fool."

XVmon said, "I have to save him!" He jumped into the air and flew in pursuit of Davis before any of the Veedramon could react. He was exhausted, but he wouldn't let his best friend die!

********

Davis ran faster than he ever had in his life. He sped down one canyon down another, trying to lose AeroVeedramon while trying not to get lost himself. He was beginning to question the wisdom of this idea. _Oh well, too late now!_

AeroVeedramon was close behind. He called up, "Faster! I'll catch you at the rate you're going!" He laughed. 

_Jerk_. Davis was beginning to really hate that Digimon. Davis turned his attention back to where he was running, and his whole body went numb. There was a dead end strait ahead. _Oh no…_

"Magnum Crasher!" AeroVeedramon collided with the ground a short way behind Davis. Davis was lifted up into the air by the force of the explosion, along with what seemed like half the ground. Stones pelted Davis even as he fell down to the floor again. Davis came to a rolling stop in the middle of the dead end. He pressed a hand to his head, it came away bloody. It was then that Davis felt the pain in his head, and the dizziness. _I'm in trouble._

"And so the chase ends." AeroVeedramon strode up to Davis. "I caught you. Now, you will digivolve me into a Mega, human scum!"  
Davis tried to stall for time, "Why do you hate humans so much?"

AeroVeedramon said, "Because it was your human Digimon Emperor who kidnapped and enslaved several members of our clan! He came with his dark rings to gain new servants, and we lost three brothers! You Digidestined never came to help us! All humans are threats, and they must be destroyed!" 

Davis tried to stand up, "I'm sorry. I didn't know that the Emperor came and kidnapped your friends. I can help you find them, though."

AeroVeedramon roared, "Stop stalling! I will not listen to your lies! Digivolve me into an Mega, NOW!"  
Davis slumped, he couldn't get up. "I-I can't make you digivolve. I don't know how."

AeroVeedramon glared at him, then smiled, "Very well. If you will not digivolve me, then I shall eat you and take your powers. Then I can simply digivolve myself." Davis could only watch helplessly as AeroVeedramon advanced with drool hanging from his mouth. Could he really believe that eating Davis would gain him the power to digivolve at will?

"X Ray!" AeroVeedramon screamed when flash of red stabbed him from behind. XVmon swooped around and landed next to Davis. "Davis, are you alright?" Davis tried to stand again, but he couldn't. XVmon wasn't looking too well either. He was beaten very badly, and had barely enough energy for another shot. He said, "Hang on, I'll get you out of here."

"V-Wing Blade!" XVmon was thrown against the dead end by a blast of energy. He lay on the ground, too tired to move. AeroVeedramon looked at his distant cousin. "How can you betray your own kind, for a human no less!"

XVmon snarled, "You're a fine one to talk. You betrayed and killed your own elder!"

"He was too soft to admit the truth! Now I will lead my clan to glory again. A shame that you cannot join in that glory!"

Davis was horrified at the scene before him. XVmon couldn't fight back, and AeroVeedramon was set on his kill. _Blossomon dying…Leomon hurt… Vee lying on the ground. Everyone I care about gets hurt. All because of me…_Something snapped inside Davis. _NO! NO MORE! I won't lose any more friends!_ Davis picked up a nearby stone and tossed it as hard as he could at AeroVeedramon. It bounced off his shoulder, but he snarled and turned around none-the-less. Davis shouted, "HEY! Aren't you forgetting something? Remember your main course?"  
AeroVeedramon smiled, "Good… Feisty food tastes the best."

XVmon tried to get up, but was too exhausted to fight again, "Davis! RUN!"

Davis pretended not to hear his friend. He continued to shout at AeroVeedramon, "YEAH! Come on! Just try and eat me! I hope you choke!" AeroVeedramon reached down with one massive claw. Davis closed his eyes. _I don't care if I have to rip him apart from inside, I won't let AeroVeedramon kill any of my friends!_ Davis felt something warm inside of his chest. It was like lightning was surging through his heart. _What is this?_ Davis' D3 began to shriek again. His digiterminal activated as well. Davis opened his eyes and reached into his pocket. Praying for a miracle, he flicked the screen on. His two digieggs of courage and friendship appeared on the screen, but they quickly vanished, leaving only the two crests in their wake. 

"What?" The crests jumped from the digiterminal's face and soared into the air. They pressed together and began to glow even brighter. The joint crest flew over XVmon's body and shot a beam of light right into him. XVmon's strength returned as he pushed off the ground and stood up.

"XVmon digivolve to…" White light began to flash across XVmon's waist, torso, forearms, and head. Black armor appeared all over his body, with two long slender blasters hanging from his waist. A red armor helmet covered the upper half of his head. The Digimon introduced himself, "Paildramon!" 

Davis wasn't sure if this was real or a delusion. "P-Paildramon?"

The new Digimon stood up. He was as big as XVmon, but seemed to possess more confidence. "I am Paildramon, the fully digivolved form of Veemon. I am a Dragon-Man Digimon with incredible speed and power." 

AeroVeedramon smiled, "Shall we test that power? V-Wing Blade!" 

Paildramon watched the attack soar in. His blasters snapped into position and targeted the threat. "Dramon Blaster!" Red bolts of heat shot out and decimated the incoming attack. Paildramon took to the air and flew in at AeroVeedramon. One swift kick to the head was all it took to send the giant toppling. Paildramon floated over his fallen opponent. "I'd say my power's pretty impressive, wouldn't you, cousin?" 

AeroVeedramon glared from his prone position on the ground. He lunged and Paildramon, and when he missed he turned the lunge into a take off. Davis watched as the digital "David and Goliath" flew through the air, each one trying to outmaneuver the other. AeroVeedramon continued to send one V-Wing blade after another, but Paildramon either dodged or countered each attack. The two of them flew through the air, exchanging blows when possible, but it was clear that Paildramon had the advantage. 

Davis pursued as best as he could, but he was slowed to a crawl by his head wound. He could only watch as his best friend continued to fight with all his strength. What had happened? How had XVmon managed to digivolve into an Ultimate?

AeroVeedramon shouted, "Blast you! I'll finish you once and for all, Paildramon!" 

"Just like you finished your Elder?"

AeroVeedramon howled, "He was too weak to do what was necessary! I had no choice but to remove him!" AeroVeedramon glanced at his opponent's face. Paildramon's lips were spread a confident grin. AeroVeedramon looked down. The Veedramon clan was directly beneath them, looking up. They'd all heard his confession. The looks on their faces were a mix of horror, shame, and rage. AeroVeedramon looked back and Paildramon. If he was to be an outcast, he would kill the Digimon responsible for his predicament. "MAGNUM CRASHER!"

Paildramon's body flashed red, "Dragon Strike!" He flew in with an attack similar to the Magnum Crasher. The two of them collided, just like the two AeroVeedramon had before. But this time, it was AeroVeedramon himself who lost the power struggle. He fell to the ground with a deep cut running along his face. That cut would leave a deep scar. 

AeroVeedramon lay there among his former brethren. He was waiting for the pain to subside, but deep down he knew it never would. "Curse you…" 

Vee managed to stand up and digivolved again into an AeroVeedramon, "You're the one with the true scar on his heart, not me."

AeroVeedramon looked up, "Scar… please…"

The other AeroVeedramon said, "My name is Vee, not Scar." The Veedramon looked down on their former leader. They opened their mouths to reveal deep blue glows. Vee also powered up his own attack.

"V-Nova Blast!"

"V-Wing Blade!"

"NOO!" The evil AeroVeedramon vanished in one final explosion. For a moment the Veedramon just stood there, pondering the fate of their true betrayer who had nearly led them into a bloodbath. 

Paildramon touched down behind the group. "What now?" It was a simple question, yet none of the Veedramon had an answer. Suddenly, one of the Veedramon began to energize another Nova Blast. Other Veedramon soon followed. Paildramon looked surprised for a moment, but then he brought his blasters into position to attack. "Dragon-" 

"STOP!!!" All combatants looked down to see Davis limping out of the gap in the wall. "Stop it! Why are you all still fighting? AeroVeedramon is gone, there's no need to fight anymore!"

One of the Veedramon spoke, "The strongest of our clan is gone, our Elder is deleted. We have lost nearly everything. That waterhole is the only thing we have left. We must reclaim it!"

Davis shouted, "It's a stupid hole filled with water! How is that worth your lives?"

Vee said, "Davis, Digimon don't die. We are merely deleted and reformatted."

"Death is death, no matter how you look at it. I don't care if you all come back to life, you'll still lose each other. Losing friends is terrible, there's no need to waste any more life!"

Paildramon said, "Davis, they aren't going to listen. I'll stop them. You get to safety."

Davis looked at his partner. "No. Don't you dare attack! This has to stop. It has to end with AeroVeedramon." He looked back at the Veedramon. "Why fight when you can simply ask for the watering hole? The villagers are more than willing to share it with you, I promise!"

"On whose word?"

A voice came from farther back, "On my word." 

Davis looked at the speaker, "Leomon!" Leomon was limping towards everyone at a slow pace. His torso was bandaged and he was sweating heavily. Leomon held up a hand to stop Davis from talking. "I had to come and see how the battle was going. You've done well, Davis." He looked at the assembled Veedramon, "You have the word of Leomon that the villagers will agree to a peace treaty. The Digidestined Davis is right, there is no further need to fight."

Vee said to the others, "If you wish, I will speak to the villagers alone. The clan need not risk anything."

The Veedramon were surprised, "You would do that, even though we forsake you?"

Vee smiled, "You are my clan. I would never turn my back on all of you." The Veedramon agreed to let Vee at least speak with the villager.

Paildramon began to flash white again, and his shape diminished into a smaller form. Davis limped over to the newly reverted Digimon, it wasn't Veemon. "Demiveemon!" Davis kneeled down and picked up the tiny Digimon.

Demiveemon whimpered, "I don't have any strength left."

Still kneeling, Davis hugged his little partner, "I'm sorry. You got hurt protecting me."

"No, that's not true. You were trying to protect me. I wouldn't have been able to digivolve if not for you. Thank you, Davis." Davis could only smile. For the first time in a while, the tears in his eyes weren't sad.

********

The cloaked figure emerged from the shadows. His regeneration had taken far longer than expected, but that did not matter. It was evening, and by now the foolish Veedramon clan would have his food ready for him. The cloaked Digimon looked down into the watering area, but something was wrong. The Hidden Village was still standing! And the Veedramon were beside the lake, drinking the water in a joyous celebration. And there was the Digidestined boy, sitting by the lake.

The cloaked Digimon was furious. How could AeroVeedramon have been defeated by one puny human and a Digimon that could only achieve Champion status? What had gone wrong? 

He sighed, _That Digidestined has just worn out his usefulness. He must be removed, and now my timetable must be accelerated…_The cloaked Digimon allowed himself to be swallowed by the shadows. 

********

The digiterminal had a new icon on its option page. There were three icons, one for the digiegg of courage, another for the digiegg of friendship, and then there was the new icon. It was a cross-section of the two crests. Next to the icon was the term "Ultimate." Davis just sat there, admiring his accomplishment. This was different than having Veemon digivolve into a Champion. He had made this happen because of his own emotions and determination. _My strength of will._

Gennai, once he had recovered, had proposed a theory on how XVmon had been able to digivolve. Since Davis possessed the powers of courage _and_ friendship, it was quite possible that he would have to embrace both powers in order to get XVmon to digivolve. Standing up to a giant in order to save one's friends fit that bill rather nicely. Gennai had also assured Davis that Demiveemon would be fine. Ultimate Digimon often reverted to In-Training after the first few digivolutions. With time, Veemon would become strong enough that he not revert so far back. Demiveemon was currently resting on Davis' shoulder. Davis himself had a bandage wrapped around his head.

Gennai had also offered an explanation as to how Vee had digivolved. Leomon had once digivolved into a Mega after being exposed to Tai and Matt's digivices. Most likely, Davis' D3 had had the same effect on Vee. Vee was constantly shifting back and forth between Veedramon and AeroVeedramon. It would take time for him to gain control over his new power. 

"Davis." Leomon, Gennai, Vee, and Mechanorimon approached the lakeside. They all looked tired, but very happy. Vee had worked out an agreement with the Hidden Village. The Veedramon would use the lake as a watering hole, and would leave the village alone. The same went for the villagers.

Leomon, who was growing stronger by the moment, smiled, "Admiring your accomplishment?"

Davis smiled, "I can't believe that I got XVmon to digivolve."

Leomon's smile widened, "Who said anything about digivolving? I am speaking of your accomplish of creating peace within the Rock Maze."

Davis shook his head, "I started the mess. If I hadn't come then there wouldn't have been a fight, and you wouldn't have been hurt."

Leomon said, "Davis, a warrior accepts and learns from his mistake, then moves on. You have accepted your mistake, and learned far more than I could have hoped. Now, let it go. Besides, you are wrong about the fight. The Veedramon clan would have attacked whether or not you had come. You prevented a slaughter, and brought peace to the land."

Davis said, "Thanks, but what happens now?"

Leomon said, "The two communities will learn to live together, and will eventually become friends. It will happen, just give it time."

"What about you, Leomon?"

Leomon said, "I will leave tomorrow to renew my search for Ogremon. We have a duel to finish. But first, I will accompany Gennai back to his home."

Davis looked at the older man, "Gennai? You're leaving?"

Gennai nodded, "Yes. Davis, you've proven that there is a hidden dark force out there, manipulating innocent and not-so-innocent Digimon. I'm going to find out what's going on. Leomon is going to help me."

Davis stood up slowly, "I'll come too."

Gennai shook his head, "No. You should continue your walkabout. There may come a time when you'll need focus, and it would be good for you to achieve it now."

Vee said, "I will also be leaving tomorrow. I am going out into the world to see if I can find my missing brothers. And I am going to see what has changed over the years. Davis, may I accompany you for a short time?"

Davis smiled, "Of course, you're more than welcome."

Leomon asked, "Where are Tai's goggles?" Davis patted a pocket on his backpack. Leomon continued, "Will you wear them again when you head heals?"

Davis smiled, "No. I'm going to give them back to Tai when I get home. I don't need them any more. At least, that's what my instincts tell me."

Leomon put a hand on Davis' shoulder, "Davis, I'm proud that I had a part to play in your journey. You've discovered your true strength, and I know that it will only grow from here on. You're becoming a great Digidestined. I promise you, we will meet again, soon." Davis nodded.

"Hey," Gennai said, "The villagers are having a party. We shouldn't keep the guest of honor away from the celebration!" Everyone nodded in agreement and motioned for Davis to come as the hero of the hour. Davis took one last look around the lake. He'd made a big mistake, but he'd managed to turn it into a triumph. He'd saved the village, defeated a killer Digimon, brought peace to the Rock Maze, and awakened a new power inside himself. He really was stronger than he knew.

__

Cool…

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Things are looking good for Davis, but that dark force is going to try and make things worse. Day 7 will be a turning point in this story.

Author's note: I had to use a lot of creative license with Paildramon, including changing the names of the attacks. His Japanese attacks were listed by Megchan's site as "Desperado Blaster," and "Esgreamer." I have no clue as to what an Esgreamer is.

****

Spoiler Warning!I also had to use creative license in Paildramon's creation. There really is a Paildramon, and he is Veemon's Ultimate form. I know that he will definitely appear later in the Digimon 02 series, but I'm not sure how. I do know that it won't be like I described it in this fiction. But it is something to look forward to, isn't it? 


	7. Day 7

Walkabout

Day 7: Confrontation

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. It'll never happen. I have no rights to any characters or creatures.*

Author's note: Thank you, ShannonL, for this great quote that you've given me. It's perfect for Day 7. And thanks to WilliamKim07, his suggestions gave me another idea for my story. I'm also grateful to everyone who keeps reviewing my work, especially my brief commentary on the lesser-used couples in Digimon romances. I was very pleased to get input from both sides of the story. 

Alraumon comes from the Digimon card game, and I learned about that from one of my best information sources, Megchan's Digimon Sekai. Megchan has an incredible amount of knowledge when it comes to the Japanese version of Digimon. I really recommend that everyone check her site out. The URL is http://www.megchan.com/digimon/.

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You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need." 

  * The Rolling Stones

The sun rose slowly in the sky, warming the three travelers. Davis blinked as the golden light poured over the landscape; he had a lot on his mind. He was still flushed with a feeling of pride after saving the Hidden Village, but a thought kept running through his head. _If the others had been there, I would have relied on them to help fix my problem, and I would have looked like an idiot again. They'd all get on my case for being reckless, (which I was) and for picking a fight where I shouldn't have (which I did). It's like I can't do anything right without being totally wrong first! If I could just get my act together, I'm sure that the others would respect me._

Demiveemon yawned, "Is it time for breakfast yet?" Davis smiled and looked at the small creature resting in his arms. Demiveemon was half-asleep. Vee had asked that they leave the Rock Maze as soon as possible, which meant getting up and a ridiculously early hour. They hadn't even had time for breakfast. Surprisingly, Gennai and Leomon had already left before Davis and the others had even woken up.

Davis asked, "Hey, Vee, how's about a break?" 

The Veedramon nodded, "Yes, food would be nice." Davis and Demiveemon sat down while Vee began to sniff the air. Davis pulled out a few food packs for Veemon and himself, but Davis had no idea what to feed Vee. The large Veedramon, however, was already moving farther down the road.

"Hey," Davis yelled, "Where are you going?" 

Vee called back, "I smell food this way. I'll be back soon."

Davis looked back at Demiveemon. "He isn't going to eat another Digimon, is he?"

Demiveemon shook his head, "No. Only a few Digimon like Darklizardmon eat other Digimon. Vee's probably just going to eat some fish or some fruit." Davis nodded. That was reassuring.

They ate in silence for a while until Davis popped another question, "Demiveemon, what else do you think that I can work on?"

Demiveemon blinked, "What do you mean?"

Davis said, "Well, I came on this walkabout to make myself better so that the others would respect me more, but no matter what I do, I just don't feel like I'm making any progress."

Demiveemon said, "That's not true! You've grown a lot, Davis."

"But it's nothing that the others would respect. TK could have saved the Hidden Village or Meadow Town, and so could Kari. I need to be able to do something that no one else can, otherwise I'm useless!"

Demiveemon shook his head, "Davis, you can't keep comparing yourself to TK. Both of you have your own strengths and weaknesses. TK's good at analyzing a situation, and he has experience, but he doesn't have your courage or your determination. You're really brave, and you always come through for people in a pinch."

Davis scowled, "Like that time we fought MetalGreymon? It took me forever just to work up the nerve to fight. You were nearly hurt because I couldn't work up the strength to attack Agumon."

Demiveemon said, "That wasn't an easy thing to ask of you. None of us wanted to hurt MetalGreymon, but we did what we had to do. I know it seemed like everyone was coming down on you at the time, but we all understood how you felt! You saved everyone by awaking your power of friendship. Why are you being so hard on yourself?"

Davis shook his head, "I guess I just can't figure out why everyone always thinks I'm such a joke… I know I can do just as much as TK or anyone else, but no one respects me. I feel like I always take one step forward and two steps back…" Davis train of thought was interrupted by the return of Vee. The Dinosaur Digimon was licking his chops after a very satisfying meal.

"Ready to go?"

Davis stood up, "Sure. Let's get going." Demiveemon gave Davis a look that clearly showed that he wanted to continue the conversation, but he kept silent. Davis asked, "What's up ahead?"

Vee said, "I am not sure. I've lived in the Rock Maze for all my life. However, I have heard that there is something called 'The Dark Forest' near here."

Demiveemon frowned, "Sounds creepy…"

Davis shrugged, "It does sound creepy, but it could also be a cool place. Let's check it out!" They started walking again. 

They reached the forest in almost no time. Davis could see that it lived up to its name. The trees in the forest were pitch black, and an eerie fog hung through the entire area. 

Demiveemon shuddered, "Do we really have to go in there?"

Davis patted his little friend's head, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you. We'll be fine."

Vee sighed, "I can't go in there. It's too small and I'd end up tearing the place apart."

Davis nodded, "Okay. Why don't we meet on the other side of the forest." Vee nodded and digivolved into AeroVeedramon again. He took flight and disappeared into the mist. Davis gave Demiveemon another reassuring pat, "Let's get going."

********

Davis didn't see what the big deal was. They'd been marching in a strait line for over an hour, and nothing had happened. For such a foreboding place, the Dark Forest didn't seem have any threats. Davis smiled, "Still nervous, Demiveemon?"

"No…" Demiveemon's voice didn't match his words. A sudden shuffling caught Davis' attention and made him feel uneasy too. Something was watching them from the shadows. Davis could feel Demiveemon trembling slightly in his arms. It must be frightening to be an In-Training Digimon in such an environment.

Davis' face firmed up. _I have to be brave, for Demiveemon_. "Who ever you are, come out now!" Davis hoped his voice sounded more confident than he felt. There was more shuffling behind a bush, and then a Digimon emerged from between two trees. Davis recognized the Digimon almost immediately. "Palmon?" It looked like Mimi's Digimon partner, but there were some differences. This Digimon's eyes were black, and the blossom on its head was purple, not pink. The look that she was given was giving Davis made him worried. _Something's wrong…_

Demiveemon gasped, "Davis! That's not Palmon! That's Alraumon, she's like Palmon's evil twin. Her attacks are Gloom Dust and Nemesis Ivy!"

Davis took one step back, "What do you want?"

Alraumon smiled, "Gloom Dust!" Yellow pollen shot out of Alraumon's head and floated towards Davis. Davis spun around to shield Demiveemon from the attack.

"Davis!" Demiveemon shouted, "Don't inhale!" Demiveemon took a deep breath and held it. Davis didn't have a chance to take a breath before the pollen found its way into his lungs. Davis coughed and choked, but didn't feel any pain. Demiveemon hopped out of Davis' arms. Davis' D3 shrieked. "Demiveemon digivolve to… Veemon!" 

Alraumon braced herself. She hadn't expected the In-Training to digivolve. "V-head-butt!" Veemon jumped and bashed his skull into Alraumon's head. Alraumon screamed and fell back. Veemon landed and took up a ready stance. Alraumon, on the other hand, was running away before she was even fully upright. 

Davis watched the plant Digimon flee. He suddenly felt hot. Had the pollen done something to him? "Nice job, Veemon."

Veemon whirled and ran up to Davis, "Davis, did you inhale the pollen?"

Davis coughed, "Yeah." He was beginning to feel dizzy.

Veemon was frantic, "Quick, get me to armor digivolve! We have to get you to a healer!" 

Davis didn't understand, but he saw that Veemon meant what he said, "Digi…digi--" Davis suddenly felt woozy. The world was fading between lightness and darkness. His chest felt hot. _What's happening to me?_ Veemon was shouting something, but Davis couldn't hear it. The darkness swallowed him.

********

"Kari? Hey, Earth to Kari." Kari snapped out of her trance and looked into TK's face.

Kari said, "Sorry, I'm just… worried." She and TK were having lunch at a local shop. Kari hadn't touched her food.

TK frowned. He didn't like how concerned Kari was over Davis. Still, she did have a valid reason to be worried. TK wasn't crazy about how he and Davis got along, but that didn't mean that TK wanted Davis gone forever. TK placed a hand upon Kari's, "Don't worry. Davis will be fine." Kari didn't hear his words. "Kari?"

Kari's voice trembled. "Davis… something's happened to Davis…"

TK frowned, "How do you know?"

Kari shook her head, "I'm not sure… but I know that something terrible has just happened."

********

Alraumon rubbed her head as she trudged deeper into the forest. That cloaked loser owed her for this. He was standing where she had left him, right in the darkest shadows. "Hey, I did what you asked!"

The "living shadow" turned towards her. "The Digidestined is removed?"

Alraumon rubbed her head again. "Yeah. Now, where's my reward?"

The cloaked creature chuckled and approached her. Alraumon was instantly on guard, but she was too slow to react. The cloaked Digimon's hand shot out and grasped Alraumon's neck with lightning speed. The creature said, "You're reward is satisfaction of knowing that you helped me survive!" A red eye flashed within the darkness, and pain flooded through Alraumon's body. There was one final agonizing flash of pain, then nothing.

Alraumon's body dissolved into data and was devoured by the cloaked Digimon. He smiled. Now that the one Digidestined was out of the way, the time to make use of the other four had come. Everything was going according to plan.

********

Davis' footsteps echoed through the mist covered void that he wandered through. Davis called out, "Veemon! Where are you, Veemon? Hello? Anybody?" Davis started to run. "VEEMON! Hello? C'mon, answer me!" Fear gripped Davis' heart. Where was Veemon? Where was the forest? What was going on? Davis cried, "Veemon! Don't leave me all alone!"

"Why are you so afraid to be alone?" Davis spun around. There was a figure standing in the mist. It was only slightly taller than Davis, and there was something familiar about its silhouette. The figure stepped closer.

Davis couldn't believe his eyes. "Yolei?" It was indeed the purple-haired Digidestined. 

Yolei said, "You haven't answered my question. Why are you so afraid to be alone? You've been alone practically since the day you were born."

Davis' brows furrowed. "What do you mean?" Yolei turned her head to look deeper into the mist. Davis followed her line of sight. Something was materializing within the mist. Davis squinted, but it didn't help. A scene slowly appeared within the haze. There was a little kid lying in his bed with his eyes wide open. It took Davis a minute to recognize that this was his younger self! Davis stared in disbelief. "What's going on here?"

Yolei held a finger up in front of her lips to signal Davis to be quiet. Davis watched the scene unfold. There was an audible closing of a door in the background. "Hi mommy! Hi daddy! Welcome home!" 

A woman's voice was heard, "Jun, dear, you should be in bed!"

"I wanted to say hi!" 

A man's voice said, "How sweet of you. How's your brother?"

"He's asleep. You want me to go get him?"

"No. Let him sleep. We'll probably see him in the morning. Now, get bed, dearest." Young Davis' eyes welled with tears as he listened to his parents and his sister. Davis himself could feel his own tears burning.

"I-I never saw them in the morning. They always left for work before I had a chance to say hello. I almost never saw them. And they never woke me to say hi. I should have gotten out of bed and seen them." That had always hurt. Davis had grown up almost on his own. He was probably one of the few first graders who had learned to wake up on his own, dress and feed himself, and get to school without his parents' help. 

Yolei said, "Your parents never cared for you, not in the way a real parent should. They never wanted to stay with you, and your sister was no help either." Another scene appeared within the mist. This one showed a younger Davis watching his sister and her friends play soccer. Soccer had been Davis' only relief for real fun back then. No one wanted to play with him, so he'd learn to play soccer on his own in order to try and fit in. He had figured that if he was a really good soccer player, he'd make some friends. It had seemed like a good plan at the time, only it hadn't worked.

Jun called, "Hey, Davis, wanna play?"

Young Davis hopped up, "Yeah!" Davis watched his younger self run up and take a position right next to his sister. Davis shook his head. If only that kid knew what he was getting into. Davis could feel his eyes burn even more as the older kids ran circles around his younger self. Young Davis never touched the ball once, and he was knocked into the dirt several times. 

After the game, Jun called, "Hey, Davis, we're going out for a while. I'll see you later. Great game!" Young Davis didn't look happy at all. Davis could see his younger self trying to hold back his tears. He was so ashamed of the poor job he had done.

Davis sighed, "I hated how poorly I did at those games. I could never keep up with the older kids. They always ignored me on the field. I just kept losing…"

Yolei smiled, "And Jun was no help."

Davis was about to answer yes, when a thought struck his mind. _"Hey, Davis, wanna play?"_ Jun had invited him to join that game. In fact, she'd invited him to joining just about ever game he had ever played with the young kids. She hadn't done it to humiliate him, she'd been trying to make him feel like he was part of the group. She'd known how lonely Davis had felt, so she always tried to involve him in at least part of the games with her friends. Davis shook his head, "No… you're wrong. Jun _was_ trying to help me. She was trying to make me feel less lonely by trying to let me in on some of those games. It's not her fault that the other kids didn't try to do the same."

Yolei's smile vanished, "But she left you behind."

Davis said, "I can't expect Jun to hold my hand ever time. She has a life of her own. She tried to help me, because… because she really does love me." Davis could feel new realization washing over him. "Jun doesn't show her love as directly as Matt or Tai do to TK and Kari, but she really does love me." 

Yolei didn't look happy, "What about your parents? They were never there for you." 

Davis shook his head, "It's the same as with Jun. My parents support me and Jun in their own way. They work so hard so that Jun and I can live comfortably. I wouldn't even be able to go to school with you and Cody and TK and Kari if it weren't for the money they gave me. My parents do love me, because they work so hard to support me and keep me happy." Davis starred into Yolei's eyes, "And I'm not alone, not as long as I have friends. You and the others are supposed to be my friends. Yolei, what's going on here? You're acting so mean. That's not like you."

Yolei scowled. The mist rose around her, blocking her from Davis' view. "Yolei? Yolei! Come back!" Davis shouted, but there was no answer.

Another voice came from behind Davis, "It's my turn now…"

Davis whirled around, "CODY?"

********

Cody sighed and looked out over the skyline from his apartment. His legs dangled over the railing, and he was looking out between the bars. Davis' disappearance was weighing on him. Cody just couldn't understand why Davis didn't want to see the others. _Does he hate us?_ Cody just couldn't understand that.

Cody looked behind him. "Yolei?"

His best friend looked up from Cody's computer. She had been upgrading it for him, "What is it, Cody?"

Cody asked, "What do you think about Davis?"

"Davis?" Yolei blinked, then shrugged, "He's a bit of an airhead, and he's always trying to show off. He's also got a lot of pride. But… he's always there when we need him, and he'd probably jump of a cliff for any one of us if he had to. He's come through for us when we needed him the most. Why do you ask?"

Cody said, "I just can't understand why he wants to avoid us. Did we do something wrong?"

Yolei waved her hand, "What did we do? I don't remember having an argument with him! He probably just got in a fight with TK over Kari and has gone to pout."

Cody shook his head. "I don't think that's it. He's never done anything like this before, even when he fought with TK and Kari. I can't help but feel like this is our fault. Remember that little laughing session we had about a week ago?"

Yolei's face fell slightly, "He didn't hear us, he couldn't have heard us!"

Cody's eyes narrowed slightly, "So just because he didn't hear us, that makes it alright? We were laughing at him behind his back… I think that's why he left, because we weren't being his friends."

********

"You are such an idiot." Davis got the feeling that Cody was looking down his nose at Davis, even if he was the shorter of the two. Cody continued, "All the time I've known you, I don't think I've seen one brain-cell fire in that oversized fur-ball you call a head."

Davis couldn't believe his ears, "Cody, what are you saying?"

Cody rolled his eyes, "He doesn't understand. What an idiot!" He looked back at Davis, "Davis, can you comprehend how truly stupid you are. You're always trying to act like a big-shot, but you never say one intelligent thing."

Davis was suddenly angry, "BIG-SHOT? Look who's talking! You're always telling us big kids how to do things, but you're the youngest of us!"

Cody shook his head, "Just because I'm younger, I'm not as smart as you? How stupid is that?" His eyes grew colder, "You're supposed to have brains, Davis, but you never use them. How come you always act so stupid? You always just rush into any situation, and usually need someone else to haul your fat out of the fire!"  
Davis couldn't think of a reply to that. _Why do I always rush into situations? _

Cody seemed to read his thoughts, "Do you want to know why you're like that?" He gestured behind him, into the mist. Another scene was appearing behind Cody, just as it had for Yolei. It was a young Davis, sitting in a deserted section of seats in a classroom. There were students just visible at the edge of the vision. There were all leering or sniggering at Davis.

The name calling began, just as Davis knew it would, "Bed wetter."

"Thumb sucker."

"Loser."

Tears were flowing down young Davis' face, "I am not a loser. I'm just as good as anyone else!" The tears kept coming down young Davis' face, until they ran dry. Davis took a step back from the image. He'd never wanted to think about that day again. That had been one of the worst days of his life. 

Davis shook his head. That memory made him so angry, angrier than he had ever been in his life! "I never cried again after that day. I just refused to cry, because I didn't want to be weak. I wanted to show everyone how tough I could be by not crying! But all I really wanted to do was keep on crying." 

Suddenly furious, Davis whirled on Cody, "I AM just as good as anyone else! I don't care if I do suck my thumb or I do wet my bed, I am still just as good as anyone else! I'm as good as Tai, I'm as good as Ken, and I'm just as good as the 'all-perfect TK!' I'm sick of everyone always coming down on me just because I argue with TK and I act like an idiot sometimes! I still have feelings! I'M JUST AS GOOD AS ANYBODY ELSE!"

Davis' voice became quieter as he admitted the truth to himself, "Ever since that day, I've always tried to prove how good I am. I always rush in because I want to show how good I am; that I'm not a loser, and I can do just as much as any of the older Digidestined, including TK and Kari. That's why I never think about the situation, I'm too busy trying to prove myself. I-I don't want people to think badly of me…"

Cody shook his head, "But we do think badly of you!"

Davis looked at Cody. Just as with AeroVeedramon, something had snapped inside of Davis. "Fine! Go ahead and hate me! I don't care what you think! I'm sick of caring! If you all hate me because of who I am, then you were never my friends to begin with. Go away!"

To Davis' surprise, Cody vanished into the mist.

********

Kari sighed and looked out her window. That negative feeling was getting worse by the moment. _Davis…What's happened?_ Kari blinked when a yellow paw waved in front of her face. Kari looked down at Gatomon. The Digimon had a concerned look on her face.

"Kari, what's wrong?"

Kari shook her head, "I'm still worried about Davis. Why did he leave without telling anyone? It doesn't make any sense."  
Gatomon asked, "Kari, just how long have you known Davis?"  
"Huh?"  
"Well, Davis didn't know TK, Yolei, or Cody until the Digimon Emperor appeared, but you knew him before the war started. So, how long have you known Davis?"

Kari thought back, "Well, I met Davis about two years ago… Everybody says that I've known TK longer than Davis, but the truth is I've really known each of them about the same amount of time."

Gatomon looked at Kari quizzically, "What do you mean? You met TK over three years ago."

Kari said, "Sorry, I'm just reflecting a little. TK moved away a few months after we defeated the Dark Masters, and I didn't hear from him again until he moved back to Odaiba. So, in a strange way, I've known TK and Davis for equal amounts of time. TK's changed a lot from the little kid he was, and I've been re-learning who TK really is."

Gatomon asked, "Is that why you spend so much time with him?"

Kari nodded, "That, and he's a bit more mature than most people our age, including Davis. I like having someone who is in-synch with me." Kari's look became a bit more depressed, "Still, I've been ignoring Davis. We were friends, but when TK moved back Davis started acting weird, and he and I have drifted apart a little. I guess his jealousy over my friendship with TK really got to him…" Kari looked back at the sky. _I'm sorry, Davis._

******** 

Davis continued to walk through the mist, but he no longer cared where he wound up. His "talk" with Yolei and Cody had given him great insight, but at a price. Davis was tired, emotionally and physically. He was so fed up with competing with the world. He was tired of competing with Ken for supremacy, he was tired with fighting with TK over Kari, and he was extremely fed up with trying to keep up with other Digidestined. He wasn't even sure if he had any real friends any more. All he knew was that he couldn't keep competing with the world anymore.

Davis whispered, "I've had it." Then his voice rose to a shout, "I GIVE UP!"

"What? You've given up drooling after me?" Davis knew that voice all too well.

"Hi, Kari…" Davis already knew where this was going.

Kari waltzed into view with a smirk on her face. "So, you finally faced reality?"

Davis' voice was tired, "What do you mean 'reality?'" Like he didn't know the answer already.

Kari smiled, "TK and I are _destined _for each other. We're perfect for each other!"

Davis sighed. He'd heard people talking about how perfect TK and Kari were for each other. He'd been dying for a chance say what he thought. "I don't remember reading about any destined loves with the Digidestined. And I don't care how good a friend he is to you, that doesn't instantly make him your boyfriend. Just because you two are old friends doesn't mean that you HAVE to be boyfriend and girlfriend."

Kari's smile widened, "But it's so poetic. Light and Hope as one!"  
Davis gave her an "are you kidding?" look. "You're basing this off of what your crests mean? What kind of relationship is that? It may be poetic, but that doesn't mean it's right. Besides, Gennai told me that you draw your powers from the group, not just from yourself. I have some power of light and hope myself."

Kari said, "We both have Angel-type Digimon."

Davis gave a tired smile, "Now it's the type of Digimon you two have? That's almost as silly as the crests. Having two similar Digimon doesn't make you and TK an item. Besides, isn't Gatomon's Mega form MagnaDRAMON? You know, as in FlameDRAMON? Sorry, you're going to have to do better than that." Davis wondered why he had ever tried to make Veemon digivolve into "UltraAngemon." That idea sounded so silly now. 

"I've known TK longer."

"Big deal. Like I said, knowing someone longer doesn't instantly make him your boyfriend."

Kari pressed a finger to her chin, "Oh? Sound's like you haven't given up on me after all."

Davis shook his head, "No. I still care about you, Kari, but I'm sick of being the loser. It's just that I can't stand how everyone talks about how you two are 'meant for each other.' You may be best friends, but that doesn't instantly make you two newly weds. I have just as much of a chance as TK, only no one realizes it, not even me." Davis turned around, "If you choose TK, then I'll be happy for you and leave you alone. But I'm through arguing over the topic. If I do win you over, then I'll do it by being myself." Davis had finally said what he had always wanted to say. TK did have a history with Kari, but so did Davis, and no crests or Angel-Digimon could decide the outcome. Kari would have to choose either TK or Davis (or neither) based on how she felt about their characters. He left Kari in the mist.

********

A basketball bounced off the rim and hopped along the court floor. TK let out a quick huff of air and chose another ball from a nearby cart. His aim was off today. _I just can't focus_. Another shot deflected off the rim. 

TK walked over to his bag on the bench and sat down. This wasn't working. Patamon popped out from the zipper. "TK, is something wrong?"

"Davis…" TK grumbled.

Patamon gave slight smile, "You miss him, don't you?"

TK nodded, "I dunno, it's weird. He and I never get along, but now that he's gone I feel like it's my fault. You know how much we fight with each other. We're like Matt and Tai were."

Patamon said, "Matt and Tai are really good friends now. I'm sure you and Davis will be the same."

TK stood up, "But I'm not Matt! I never used to get into fights with anyone. Remember that speech I gave to Elecmon at Primary Village, how friendship is always better than fighting? Well, I haven't been following my own advice. Somehow, Davis and I always end up getting into fights. Like when we fought MetalGreymon. I suggested using Davis as a decoy because I thought he was something that we could do without." TK's shoulders fell. "I've never treated anyone like that. I was being such a jerk."

Patamon said, "You were worried about me. The Emperor nearly slapped that dark spiral on me, remember?"

TK said, "That doesn't excuse the way I acted. I was treating a friend like dead weight, and I never even apologized. Davis and I both care about Kari, and we both allow that to control how we act towards each other. I try not to get into fights, but seeing how Davis acts around Kari just makes me so mad, I can't control myself!" TK sat down again, "When Davis gets back, I'll have to apologize, and I'll have to work on getting along with him. That's the right thing to do."

Patamon smiled, "Sounds like you've been giving this a lot of thought."

TK said, "Yeah. Silence makes for a great time for thinking, but it's been way too quiet around here without Davis."

********

Davis trudged along, lost as much in thought as he was in the mist. Things were suddenly different. His confrontation with Yolei had opened Davis' eyes to the truth about his family. Jun really did love Davis, in her own airhead kind of way. And Davis' parents also showed their love, just in a very indirect way.

However, Davis' talks with Cody and Kari had only caused Davis more confusion. He had acknowledged that showing off didn't get him anywhere, but what else could he do? If his friends couldn't accept who he was, faults included, then what could he do? _Without friends, I'll be lonely again, and I don't want to be alone._ But how could he act himself when he was so afraid of driving everyone away? He'd always had a tough time acting natural in a crowd. Crowds scared him, because he always felt so alone.

Davis was so busy thinking that he didn't bother to look where he was going. He also failed to see the figure standing right in front of him. Davis' line of thought came to a crashing halt when someone planted a hand on his chest and shoved hard. Davis fell to the ground with a yell. He looked up, slightly stunned by what had just happened.

Davis scowled, "Oh, it's you, TM."

TK smirked, "Still can't get the name right, huh?"

"What do you want?"

TK said, "I want to hear you admit the truth: that I am your better."

Davis got up and said, "Don't hold your breath. I'm just as good as you are."

TK's eyebrows raised, "Really? Then why are you so jealous of all my success? I have girls trailing me around everywhere I go, I'm the star basketball player of our school, and I'm closer to Kari than you can ever hope to be."

Davis looked TK in the eyes, "I don't care about basketball, or stardom. Kari's the only girl I'm interested in, so I don't care if every girl in Japan is after you. And I don't care how close you are to Kari, she still hasn't said you're her boyfriend. I still have just as much chance as you do."

TK said, "But you are jealous of me, aren't you? You feel it every time you look at me. You feel resentment and envy rising up in your heart. You can't stand the sight of me, isn't that true?"

Davis sighed, "Yes… it's true."

TK asked, "Then if you don't envy me because of my popularity, or my fans, or my relationship with Kari, then why do you envy me?"

The words leaped from Davis' mouth on their own power, "Because you're secure."

TK frowned, "What?"

Davis said, "I envy how secure you are! You've been through this whole Digidestined thing, so you know what you're doing and everyone listens to you because of that! I'm still guessing my way through this, so nobody listens to what I have to say! You're comfortable among people, but I'm scared to death that I'll screw up and lose my friends! You've got a handle on everything while I'm get kicked around like I'm the universe's punching bag! That's why I envy you!"

TK looked happy, "Then what do you plan to do about it?"

Davis said, "I'm done competing with you. In fact, I'm done competing with everybody. I'll just have to do things my own way, and I'll have to stop comparing myself to you. Just you watch, TA, I'm going to gain just as much control over my life as you have over yours!" He jabbed a finger into TK's chest, "But I'm not doing it to prove that I'm as good as you, I already know that! I'm going to take control of my life because I can!"

TK vanished into the mist with a surprised look on his face. Davis was pretty shocked by his own words as well. _I'd always wanted to say those things to Kari and TM, but I could never work up the nerve to do it._ Davis stood silently and mulled everything over in his head._ I now realize that my family really does love me, but I'm not sure about my friends. Heck, I'm not even sure if they really are my friends anymore. After all, friends don't laugh at you when your back is turn, and their supposed to back you up when you need them. Kari and the others usually bail me out in a crisis, but they don't really support me. What's worse is that I've been trying to impress everyone so much, that I've lost track of who I really am. I need to stop trying to impress everyone and start acting on my own, without worrying about what other people think of me. If Cody and Yolei and Kari and TC can't appreciate me for who I am, then I don't need them at all!_ That realization should have made Davis happy, but it did not. He wanted to be friends with Kari and the others, but now he wasn't even sure if that was possible. Why did every realization have to lead to more questions? 

Davis was brought back to the current moment as a light began to shine within the mist. His eyes started to squint. "What?" Davis could only look on in surprise as a burst of energy filled the whole area, and the world vanished in a flash of light.

********

"Davis? Davis, wake up!" Davis opened his eyes slowly and looked around. He was back in the Dark Forest, and Veemon was right next to him. The blue Digimon was looking at his friend with wide eyes that were filled with concern. Veemon exclaimed, "Davis! You woke up!" He hugged Davis with enough strength to dent a Monochromon's shell.

"Veemon?" Davis looked around in confusion. "What's going on?"

Veemon was nearly frantic, "You've been asleep for over half the day! I thought Alraumon's Gloom Dust would never wear off!"

"Gloom Dust?"

Veemon nodded, "Gloom Dust is Alraumon's worst attack. It causes the victim to pass out and gives them a fever. While the victim's recovering, he or she has terrible dreams where all their loved ones turn on them. It's meant to leave a Digimon helpless for hours, but it doesn't work very well on Champions or Ultimates, but In-Trainings and Rookies can't fight it. I guess humans are pretty vulnerable, though."

Davis sat up, "Yeah. You wouldn't believe the dreams I've been having."

Veemon said, "I'm sure they were terrible."

Davis nodded, "I didn't enjoy the experience. But… I think I learned a few things from it."  
"What do you mean?"

Davis stood up and started to walk, "Veemon, we're going home. I think I'm done with walkabout."

"DONE?" Veemon couldn't believe his ears. "What do you mean 'done?' Did you find the answers you were looking for?"

Davis shook his head, "No, I didn't; but I did find something else. I came here because I wanted to find a way to improve myself so that the others would respect me, but the truth is that I need to stop trying to win everyone's respect. I have to start acting like who I really am."

Veemon's jaw fell, "You're not Davis? Who are you then?"

Davis laughed slightly, "No, silly. I'm still Davis, but I'm not the kind of Davis that I've been acting like. That isn't the real me."

"What is the real you?"

Davis sighed, "I'm not sure anymore. But I can't find that out here. I need to be back on Earth to find out who I am, and who my real friends are." Davis' eyes became hard, "I need to go back and ask the others why they laughed at me, and why they never support me when I need them!" He sighed, "I might find out that they really aren't my friends after all…"  
Veemon was horrified, "That's not true! They really are your friends! That's just Alraumon's attack talking."

"No it isn't!" Davis whirled around, "My eyes are finally open! Kari and the others haven't been giving me the support I need as a person, and that's hurt me. If they can't act like real friends, then I don't need them! That's all there is to it!"

Veemon didn't say anything more. It almost sounded as if Davis had resigned himself to the idea that the others didn't like him, but Veemon knew that wasn't true.

********

Vee was obviously relieved when Davis and Veemon finally emerged from the Dark Forest. It was already late at night. "There you are! I was about ready to rip the whole forest apart looking for you!"

Davis smiled, "Sorry. We ran into a little trouble."

Vee nodded, "I'll want to hear about it, later. Right now, we have matters to discuss." The Veedramon stepped aside to reveal a newcomer.

Davis and Veemon shouted in unison, "LEOMON!"

Leomon smiled, "Davis, Veemon, I'm pleased to see you again so soon. I'm afraid, however, that I am the bearer of bad news. The evil that we have been searching for is about to make a move, a BIG move. We are in great jeopardy. This evil is a power unlike anything we've seen before."

Davis face fell, "Then I have to go back home and alert the others!" His problems with the other Digidestined would just have to wait until after they had dealt with whatever this new threat was.

Leomon said, "You must stay here a while longer, Davis. Gennai has some information that may enable you to defeat this evil before it reaches full power. Gennai sent me to retrieve you. I was worried when I discovered that you had not traveled very far from the Rock Maze."

Davis wanted to tell Leomon about his dream, or whatever it was, but he didn't feel like it yet. "Well then, we'd better hurry. Veemon, I'll need a ride." He called the digiegg of friendship from his digiterminal. "Digiarmor energize!"

Nothing happened. Davis frowned, "What? Digiarmor energize!" Still nothing. 

Veemon asked, "Davis, what's wrong? Why can't I armor digivolve into Raidramon?"

Davis shook his head, "I don't know! C'mon, digiarmor energize!" The digiegg wouldn't release its powers.

Leomon's face was tense, "This is a very untimely problem. Davis, did something happen in the Dark Forest?"

Davis nodded, but didn't speak. Vee stepped up, "Get on, you two. You can tell us what happened after we've spoken to Gennai." Davis and Veemon nodded. They mounted the giant Dinosaur Digimon. 

"Let's get going!" Leomon took off a run and Vee followed. Davis and Veemon held on as hard as they could to their ride as he thundered over the landscape. Davis looked down at the digiegg of friendship in his hand. Why didn't it work anymore? It had always worked in the past. Had Alraumon's attack changed his powers, or was this something that came from his new attitude towards the people who he used to consider his friends? He wasn't sure anymore.

_What's wrong with me now?_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This has been a mixed blessing for Davis. He's decided to stop competing against TK and the others, but at the same time, he's no longer sure of his friendship with the other Digidestined. Now the unknown dark force is about to attack, and Davis is unable to unlock the power of his second digiegg. The secret of a new power, and the identity of the cloaked figure are coming in Day 8. 

Author's second note: I probably offended some Takari fans with this chapter, and for that, I'm sorry. Davis' talk with the figurative Kari was my rebuttal to all the Takari evidence that I've read on the Internet. I don't think that crests and Digimon decide the couple, and I do think that old friends can stay just friends. That's my two cents anyway. Again, I am sorry if I offended anyone. I don't think that fan fiction should be offensive to anyone, hence my problem with any character bashing. 


	8. Day 8

Walkabout

Day 8: Attack

by Silver

*All too standard disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, never have, never will. All the characters and creatures that I use in this story, aside from my own creations, are the property of Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei Animation, TM, and Bandai.*

Author's note: I really appreciate the reassurances from the Takari fans that the last chapter didn't anger them. I am sorry, however, that at least one person was offended by Day 7. Even though I put an apology at the end, some people might think that I'm a Takari basher and a Takeru basher. I want to say right now that this is not true. I have no problem with Takari, and Takeru (TK) is a wonderful character whom I've liked from the beginning. I just think that there should be some stories supporting Davis. Now that I've said that, on with Day 8.

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When one is trying to do something beyond his known powers it is useless to seek the approval of friends. Friends are at their best in moments of defeat.   
-Henry Miller

Izzy stretched his neck after spending so many hours looking at a computer screen. He'd never lost his passion for information, and the Internet was the best way to fulfill that need. Izzy was about to shut down and get some sleep, when a program began to run on its own. A map of Odaiba appeared on the screen. Izzy peered closer at one sector. There was a large black swirl forming in the middle of the city sector. "What the?"  
Izzy zoomed in on the black section of the screen. The readings didn't make any sense. It was as if the affected area was being replaced by some kind of alternate space. _I'd better call the others._ Nothing good could come of this.

********

The steady rhythm of Vee's run was the first thing that Davis felt when he woke up. He was lying in the Veedramon's hand while Veemon was in the other hand.

"Ah," Vee smiled, "You're awake." Davis remembered nodding off on the way over. This ride was lasting longer than he had expected.

Davis rubbed his eyes. "Are we close to Gennai yet?"

Leomon called from below, "We are close. Gennai said he would meet us at the remains of Spiral Mountain. That's a far distance from the Dark Forest."  
Davis sat up in Vee's hand, "What's Spiral Mountain?"

Vee explained, "There were once four evil Mega Digimon called the Dark Masters. They conquered the Digital World and reformatted it to fit their needs. A majority of the land was turned into one tall mountain with cities, seas, and forests twisting around the slope. The Dark Masters' fortress was located at the top of this mountain, which was known as Spiral Mountain."

Davis said, "Gennai once mentioned a Dark Master by the name of Piedmon. He was the guy who destroyed Gennai's order."

Leomon nodded, "Piedmon was the strongest of the four Dark Masters, a truly evil Digimon. All Digimon should be thankful that he is gone."

"How'd Tai and the others beat him?"

Leomon said, "From what I have heard, young TK managed to digivolve Angemon into MagnaAngemon, and Piedmon could not compare to MagnaAngemon's powers."

Davis shook his head. That sounded like TK all right. He always managed to find some way to tip the scales when things were looking bad. Davis couldn't help but admire TK's strength. _But I think I'm just as strong._ Davis looked up over the horizon. There was something sticking up from a desolate area in the distance. It looked like a rock being supported by four twisting coils. _That must be what's left of Spiral Mountain_. 

Vee and Leomon reached the mountain base sooner than Davis would have expected. Gennai and Mechanorimon were there already. Gennai was waving eagerly. He had a thick book in his hands. Davis and Veemon hopped off of Vee as soon as they came to a halt. "Gennai, what's up?"

Gennai shook his head, "Bad news, very bad news. My friends, we are facing a great crisis." Gennai took out a small device that looked like a palmtop computer. After Gennai keyed in a few commands, an image appeared just above the device. A blue horizontal line glided through the air. "This is your world, Davis." A green line appeared above the blue line. "And this is our world, the Digital World." A red line pierced through the two parallel lines. Gennai frowned, "This is a stretch of warped space that is interacting with both worlds. I have no idea where it came from, but I am certain that it is breaching into both our worlds."

Davis frowned, "Is it an invasion?"

Gennai shook his head, "No. I've detected only one life form in this realm, and it's a Digimon."

"A DIGIMON?" Everyone else was taken completely off guard.

Gennai nodded, "Yes, a Digimon. However, I can't determine what kind of a Digimon it is. Its signal is completely different from anything I've seen before, and its power is unbelievable."

Davis frowned, "Is it worse than Chimeramon?"  
Gennai nodded, "Much, much worse. Davis, as you are now you don't stand a chance against this power. None of the Digidestined stand a chance." 

Davis' face fell, "Then what do we do? If we can't fight this thing, then we're finished!" _This can't be happening. I can't get Veemon to armor digivolve, and now we have to fight a Digimon that's worse than Chimeramon?_

Gennai said, "Don't lose hope, Davis. There is a chance, albeit a slim one. Do you remember the book that I took away from you while you were reading in my home?"

Davis nodded, "You said it wasn't important." 

"It wasn't important then, but it is now. Here is the book that I kept from you." Gennai handed Davis the book. 

Davis read the title aloud, "Digivolution Crystal Report?" Davis opened the cover and flipped through the pages. Most of the text was pure equations and notes that made no sense to Davis. There were also a few pictures and sketches. All of them depicted a small narrow crystal. It was pretty, but Davis didn't see what the big deal was.

Gennai said, "That book contains information on one of the greatest powers of the Digital World. When my Order sought to create the digivices, we used data from the Digivolution Crystal. Ancient legends said that the crystal has the power to digivolve a Digimon to a level previously unheard of. The Order tried to harness this power, but we failed. No one could unlock the crystal's power. Instead, we used data on the power of the crystal to create the digivices. The crystal is the purest embodiment of human emotions and traits: Courage, Friendship, Love, Sincerity, Knowledge, Reliability, Light, and Hope. It contains the power of all eight traits, but no one in the order had the strength to draw upon that power."

Davis frowned, "If you couldn't use the crystal, then why are we worrying about it now?"

Gennai had a glint in his eye, "While it is true that the Order could not use the crystal, we never tested to see if a Digidestined could use it. All our data points to one fact: the Digivolution Crystal reacts to strong emotions and desires. A Digidestined's strength comes from emotions and desires, so I theorize that you, Davis, can bring out the crystal's powers."

Davis' eyes bulged, "Whoa! Hey! Wait a minute! What makes you think _I _can do it? I-I can't even get Veemon to armor digivolve!"

Gennai frowned, "I beg your pardon?"

Veemon said, "For some reason, I can't armor digivolve into Raidramon."

Gennai wasn't pleased, "Davis, did something happen to you after we parted ways?"

Davis looked crestfallen, "Well… Veemon and I went into the Dark Forest, and we were attacked by Alraumon. She used her Gloom Dust on me, and I had a dream."

"What happened in that dream?"

Davis clenched his fist as tears formed in his eyes, "I… I…" He couldn't do it. He just couldn't talk about the fight he'd had with TK and Kari and the others in his dream. The memory was just too painful, even if it had opened his eyes.

Leomon placed a hand on Davis' shoulder, "It's alright, Davis. You don't have to say anything." Leomon gave Gennai a look that made it clear that now was not the time to ask any further questions.

Gennai said, "Davis, I know that you have the power inside of you to control the Digivolution Crystal. But first we have to find the blasted thing."

Veemon asked, "You don't have it?"

Gennai shook his head, "No. Piedmon stole the crystal when he attacked the Order's headquarters. He took it in the hopes of digivolving himself beyond the power of a Mega. Obviously, he did not succeed, but I am sure that he kept the crystal near him so that no one else could have access to its powers. That is why I have called you here. We must search through Spiral Mountain's remains in the hopes of finding the crystal. We can worry about how to use it later."

Vee said, "I can digivolve and get us up there in no time. I've gained some control over my changing form."

Davis held up a hand, "Wait, let me try again." He summoned the digiegg of friendship. "Digiarmor energize!" The digiegg just rested in Davis' hand, mocking him with its silence. Davis was getting fed up, "COME ON YOU PIECE OF JUNK! Digiarmor energize!" It just wouldn't work!

Veemon said, "Davis, it's okay."

"No it's not!" Davis was furious, "Why can't I make it work?"

Gennai said, "Try the digiegg of courage. You might have better luck."

Davis took a deep and nodded, "Digiarmor energize." The digiegg of courage appeared in the air.

"Veemon armor digivolve to… Flamedramon: The Fire of Courage!" 

Davis sighed, at least one of Veemon's digivolutions worked. "Let's get up there." Davis didn't sound too enthusiastic. Flamedramon picked Davis up with one arm and began to jump up Spiral Mountain's supports.

Gennai turned to Leomon and Vee, "What do you think happened?"

Leomon shook his head, "Something happened in Davis' dream. Something so bad that he is confused over what friendship really is."

Gennai nodded, "Something similar happened to Matt when he was at odds with the other Digidestined. Leomon, I'd like to ask that you try to support Davis. He respects you a great deal, and will listen to your advice." Leomon nodded.

Vee said, "We'd best catch up. Veedramon digivolve to… AeroVeedramon!" Vee picked Leomon up and took to the air after Flamedramon and Davis. Gennai climbed into Mechanorimon and followed. The search had begun.

********

The Digidestined, old and new, crept down an ally in the downtown district. It had taken Izzy the better part of the day to contact everyone. It was now evening. Tai and the others had decided to aid TK, Kari, and newest Digidestined investigate what was happening downtown. The police had ordered all civilians out of area, although they had not said why. The Digidestined had been forced to sneak in unnoticed.

TK asked, "Any idea what's up ahead?"

Izzy shook his head, "My computer couldn't get any specific readings. I tried to get a satellite view, but nothing could fix onto the area. Whatever's happening, it's disrupting all electronics in the nearby area. I've never seen power like this before."

Cody asked, "Should we call Davis? We might need his help."

Matt shook his head, "Let's see what happens first. If worse comes to worse, then we can call him back."

Tai nodded, "I'm sure you guys can handle whatever's coming."

They finally reached the area that Izzy had indicated. There were only a few policemen, and a blockade of squad cars. No other people were present. At the center of the blockade was a glowing red line that rose from the street and stopped in the air.

Tai asked, "What is that thing?"

Izzy shook his head, "I have no idea…"

Mimi said, "It kinda looks like a tear. You know, the kind that ruin your best clothes."

Yolei shuddered, "Oh, I hate that!" 

Sora asked, "How are we going to get past the police?"

Yolei suggested, "Why don't we have our Digimon distract them?"

Poromon yelped, "I'm too young to go to jail!"

Yolei sighed, "You don't have to get arrested, silly."

Joe said, "We might need your Digimon to fight. I could distract them, my Dad is on pretty good terms with the police."

Mimi said, "I'll help distract them too."

Cody asked, "Are your parents on good terms with the police too?"

Mimi shook her head, "No, but who could arrest a pretty face like mine?" Everyone else sighed.

Suddenly, the glowing red tear widened into a large sphere. There was a chorus of shouts as the police began to react to the situation. A shadow appeared in the red light. Several policemen drew their weapons at he sight of a figure stepping out of the sphere. One of the policemen shouted, "Freeze! Put your hands in the air!"

The cloaked figure shook its hood, "Annoying pests." It held up one sleeved arm, "Dread Fire!" Black flames shot out of the sleeve and began to flow through the squad cars. The police were suddenly forced to flee the scene or risk being burned to death. 

The cloaked assailant held up his other arm, "Nemesis Ivy!" Dark green vines shot out and wrapped around a squad car. The figure tossed the car into the air, which landed on two other police cars. The cloaked creature laughed as it continued to burn, explode, and toss squad cars around until it had cleared the street. By the time the cloaked figure was done, the police had completely fled the scene.

Tai sighed, "So much for Odaiba's finest."

Izzy took out his computer, "Hang on a minute. Dread Fire is an attack of Darklizardmon, but he doesn't wear a cloak, and he's supposed to be as big as Greymon! Nemesis Ivy is an attack of a Digimon called Alraumon, but she's supposed to look like Palmon!"

Matt frowned, "Maybe this thing is a mix between the two Digimon."

TK said, "Let's find out!" The other younger Digidestined nodded.

"Upamon digivolve to… Armadillomon!"

"Poromon digivolve to… Hawkmon!" 

The cloaked figure looked at the Digidestined as they emerged from the ally. "Oh excellent! You've saved me the trouble of looking for you!" 

Kari asked, "Looking for us? What do you mean by that?"

"You'll see. Nemesis Ivy!" 

Yolei saw the attack coming and was ready for it. "Digiarmor energize!"

"Hawkmon armor Digivolve to… Halsemon: The Wings of Love!" Halsemon ran at the vines. "Tempest Wing!" He went into a spin and shredded all of the vines. 

"Bah!" The cloaked figure retracted his attack. "That was merely a rookie attack. Dread Fire!" The black flames shot out and caught Halsemon in mid air. Halsemon screamed and fell to the ground. He reverted back to Hawkmon.

"Hawkmon!" Yolei ran to her partner, who was looking very beat up. "Are you alright?"

Hawkmon nodded weakly, "I'll be fine, Yolei. Sorry…"

Yolei shook her head, "No, no. You did great!"

Cody ran up, "Our turn! Digiarmor energize!"

"Armadillomon armor digivolve to… Digmon: The Drill of Power!" Digmon faced off against their attacker. "Gold Rush!" All five of Digmon's drills shot out.

The cloaked figure chuckled, "Magnum Crasher!" Blue energy encased the cloaked figure's body. He jumped towards Digmon's attack. All of the drills bounced off the energy barrier without even slowing the Magnum Crasher attack down.

"What?" Digmon didn't have time to move before the figure collided with him. All of the momentum of the cloaked figure transferred to Digmon on contact, and he was sent bouncing backwards along the pavement. Digmon reverted back to Armadillomon.

"Armadillomon!" Cody helped his friends get back on all fours. 

Armadillomon winced as he moved, "Sorry, Cody, I don't think I can fight." He slumped down, too tired to stand.

The cloaked figure was amused, "Two down, two to go."

********

Davis looked around the ruins of what had been the top of Spiral Mountain. The ground was upturned and cracked from what looked like multiple explosions, and the castle that had once been the Dark Masters' home was decayed and dark. Davis whistled, "Nice place."

Flamedramon snorted, "Yeah. It'd go great in Better Homes and Dungeons." Davis chuckled slightly. Flamedramon went back to Veemon, and the others joined them at the top.   
"So," Vee surveyed the area, "Where do we start looking?"

Gennai said, "I know Piedmon. He would have kept the crystal as close to him as possible. We should search the fortress first." 

Everyone nodded in agreement. Vee said, "I'll search the lower levels. They're much larger."

Leomon said, "I will search through the top."

Gennai said, "Then Davis, Veemon, and I will search the mid-levels. Let's get to it." They all entered the Fortress.

********

Davis had searched through over twenty-five chambers of various sizes, and had not found a thing of interest. It was getting late, and he wasn't making any progress. Davis was beginning to freak out. He called forth the digiegg of friendship. How was he supposed to gain control over the greatest power in the Digital World when he couldn't even get the digiegg to work right? _Gennai's got the wrong guy. He needs to talk to TK or Kari, they have more experience then I do!_ Davis shook his head, "I can't do it…"

"Yes you can, Davis." Leomon stood in the doorway.   
Davis' voice was so quiet, "Leomon?"

Leomon said, "Pardon me for intruding, but I've finished my search of the upper level. I didn't find anything." His eyes were sympathetic, "Davis, you can do this."

Davis body began to shudder, and his voice cracked, "How? How can I do this? I can't even make Veemon armor digivolve, and I always screw up! Why in the world does Gennai think that I can do this?"

Leomon said, "Because we all see one thing that you cannot; you have great potential, and incredible power. You CAN master the crystal, Davis. You must have faith."

Davis' body trembled even more, "But I… but I…"

Leomon walked up and placed a massive hand on Davis' shoulder. "Davis, what happened in your dream?"

Tears flowed down Davis' face like rivers. He couldn't stop them. For the first time since before he moved to Odaiba, Davis cried. "I dreamt that all the others hated me, and that they all thought I was a loser. But I know that's the truth! I'm just a joke to them! That's why they all laughed at me! They're not my friends! Friends don't laugh at you!" Davis took a step back and raised the digiegg over his head. With a shout, Davis tried to throw the egg to the ground.

"DAVIS!" Leomon grabbed Davis' arm and held it before he could let the digiegg go. They stood there for a moment, until Davis let his arm go limp. The digiegg vanished back into the digiterminal. Leomon knelt down and drew Davis into a hug. Davis buried his face into Leomon's mane and cried his heart out. Davis sobbed, "I'm sorry. Look at me. I'm crying like a baby. I'm so weak…"

Leomon shook his head, "No. It takes a great deal of strength to admit one's feelings. Crying is one of hardest things for anyone to do." Leomon leaned back so that Davis could see him, "Davis, I have seen many warriors in my time. You have the potential to be one of the best. But at the same time, a warrior cannot stand alone. Do not lose faith in the other Digidestined because of one foolish mistake. They were wrong to laugh at you, but you mustn't end your friendship because of one event. Friendships are one of the most delicate things in existence, and it takes a great deal of courage to maintain them."

Davis chuckled slightly and wiped his tear-streaked face. "Courage and Friendship huh? I guess I can live up to that."

Leomon smiled, "Yes, I know that you can." He stood up, "Now. Let's find the others and continue our search."

********

Davis and Leomon entered a huge entrance hall where the others were waiting for them. Veemon ran to Davis as soon as he saw the state his friend was in. "Davis? You've been crying. Are you okay?"

Davis smiled, "Yeah… I'm okay." Davis was surprised when Veemon jumped up and hugged him around the waist. "Veemon…"

Veemon looked up at Davis, "I'm your Digimon, Davis. I love you. I'll do anything for you. Please don't be sad."

Davis kneeled down and returned the hug, "Thanks, pal. I love you too. Don't worry, I'm okay."

Gennai walked up with a kind smile on his face, "We're here for you if you need us. We're all your friends, Davis."

Vee stepped up, "That's right. We'll stand by you no matter what happens."

Davis smiled, "Thanks, everyone." He was suddenly a little uncomfortable with all the emotion. "So, um, did anyone find that crystal thingy?"

Gennai smiled, "No such luck." It was just then that Davis' D3 chimed.

********

The cloaked figure advanced on the group, still chuckling. TK growled, "That's starting to get on my nerves."

Kari nodded, "I agree. Let's get him. Digiarmor energize!"

"Gatomon armor digivolve to… Nefertimon: The Angel of Light!"

TK took out his D3, "Digiarmor energize!'

"Patamon armor digivolve to… Pegasusmon: Flying Hope!"

The two flying Digimon circled around the cloaked figure. "Golden Lasso!" They continued to circle the cloaked creature and tied him with the shinning gold light.

There was more laughter, "Is this all you have? I expected more from you two at least!" He broke free of the lasso with a quick jerk of the arms.

Pegasusmon beat his wings, "Star Shower!" A hail of shooting stars plummeted in towards the cloaked creature. 

"Rosetta Stone!" Twin red beams shot out of Nefertimon's head band and flew beside Pegasusmon's attack. The cloak figure jumped and dodged all of the attacks with amazing speed. None of the attacks touched him.

"V-Wing Blade!" The V shaped fire launched out of the creature's body and exploded in the air. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon were knocked to the ground by the sheer force of the blast. Kari and TK ran to their respective Digimon, who had reverse digivolved into their rookie forms. 

"Patamon?"

"I'm okay, TK."

"Gatomon, are you alright?"

"Ugh, I've been in a cat fights worse than this, I'll be fine." 

Yolei shook her head, "None of our armor Digimon could hurt this thing!"

Cody said, "You guys, we need Magnamon. We have to call Davis!"

Kari nodded and took out her digiterminal, "I'll send the e-mail." She smiled wryly, "After all, if I call him, he'll come running."

********

Davis read the incoming message and turned a shade of pure white. "It's from Kari! She and the others are fighting that cloaked guy! I've got to go and help them!" Davis was about to turn and run when Leomon and Gennai grabbed him.

"Davis, no! If you go now you'll lose! You'll be either dead or captured!"

Davis struggled against his grip, "But the others need me! I don't care if they hate me, I can't leave them hanging!" 

Leomon shook Davis hard, "Davis, you can only help them by completing the search for the crystal. If you let your emotions control you, you'll lose! Please, think this through."

Davis took a deep breath. Leomon was right. Rushing into a fight now would be like committing suicide. "Okay… but I'm going to tell them to get out of there!" He keyed a message into his digiterminal.

********

Kari's eyes widened as she read the message. "Guys, Davis says he can't come back."

Cody shouted, "Why not?"

"He says that he's looking for something to help beat the bad guy. He also says that we should get away because this enemy is way too strong for us."

TK considered for a moment, "He's right. If we can't fight together, then we should fall back for now."

Tai and the others ran up to help the Digidestined. "Guys are you okay?"

TK nodded, "We're okay, but we've gotta leave. This thing is too strong for us right now."

The cloaked figure chuckled, "I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to leave. I need you four."

Kari frowned, "Us FOUR?"

A red light shinned beneath the hood. "Come to me…"

TK and Kari frowned. What was he doing? The two of them looked back at Yolei and Cody. "GUYS?" Yolei and Cody's eyes were glazed over and their expressions were blank. They were marching forward as if their bodies were moving on their own volition. 

Kari grabbed Yolei's shoulder, "Yolei, what's wrong?" Yolei slapped Kari across the face. Caught off guard, Kari fell to the ground.

"Kari!" TK wasn't watching Cody who advanced on TK with an expressionless face. He punched TK in the stomach with all his strength and managed to force TK to lean forward. Another full-power blow to his chin knocked TK flat on his bottom. Yolei and Cody marched forward again. The older Digidestined moved to intercept the possessed children.

"Dread Fire!" A wall of flame separated the two groups. Cody and Yolei walked on and stopped in front of the cloaked figure. He gestured towards the red sphere, "Get in." The two of them obeyed without hesitation.

"CODY! YOLEI!" Kari screamed. They were gone. "TK! What are going to do? We can't run away now!"

TK nodded, "You're right. Patamon, can you digivolve into Angemon? Please, we need you!"  
Patamon nodded, "Leave it to me."  
Gatomon held up a paw, "I'll digivolve too!"

Kari and TK nodded. They held up their digivices.

"Patamon digivolve to… Angemon!"

"Gatomon digivolve to… Angewoman!" 

This new digivolution didn't surprise the cloaked figure at all. "I was hoping that I'd see you two again."

********

Davis clenched his digiterminal so hard that the others were afraid that he would break it. Vee said, "Davis, you must calm down."

"CALM DOWN?" Davis roared, "How can I calm down when the others are fighting a battle they can't win while I'm here looking for some piece of glass?"

Gennai coughed, "Um… it's a crystal, not glass."

Davis groaned, "Whatever! Man, if I was there I'd take my D3 and…" Davis' face suddenly changed from desperate rage to startled realization. He hit himself in the head, "AHH! I'm so stupid!" He tossed his D3 to Gennai. "Gennai, I forgot! Izzy once said that our D3's have three functions: Digital, Detect, and DISCOVER! Can you rig my D3 to locate the crystal?"

Gennai's eyes widened, "YES! I remember the crystal's frequency! Your digivice should be able to locate the crystal! Brilliant Davis!" Gennai began to press at the D3's buttons with furious speed. Within moments the D3 began to chime. "I've found it! It's downstairs!"

The entire group ran down to the lowest levels of the fortress. Gennai led the way in Mechanorimon as he followed the crystal's signal on Davis' D3. They finally came to halt in a large cellar. Vee shook his head, "I checked this room, I didn't find anything." Indeed, there wasn't a single object in the entire chamber. 

Davis moaned, "Gennai, are you sure the crystal's here?"

Gennai said, "I don't understand! The crystal's signal is coming from beneath us! Are you sure this is the lowest level?"

Vee nodded. Davis sighed and leaned against a wall. "This stinks." Suddenly, Davis heard a loud click. One of the bricks that he was leaning against had slid into the wall. Veemon yelped in surprise as the section of floor that he was standing upon slide away with him on it. Veemon jumped of and looked at where the floor had once been. There was a hole in the floor. Everyone looked down at the newly opened pit, there was a ladder leading down into an inky blackness.

Leomon said, "Well done, Davis! You found a secret entrance!"

Davis rubbed the back of his head, "Um, sure. Nothing to it! Heh, heh…" _Dumb luck…_

Vee sighed, "I can't fit in there. I'll have to wait here. Blast!" 

Gennai waved a hand, "I wouldn't worry about it, Vee. We'll be back in no time." The hole was big enough for Gennai, Davis, Veemon, and Leomon. Mechanorimon and Vee had to stay behind.

Davis and company climbed down the ladder and reached the bottom in no time. A strange blue glow rose from cracks in the rock floor, giving faint illumination to a narrow passage. Feeling more than a little uneasy, Davis began to march down the passage. Up ahead, the pale blue light seemed to be brighter. Davis exited the passage and stepped into a monstrous cave, bigger than anything he had seen before. 

Gennai whistled. "Who would have thought that the very top of Spiral Mountain was hollow? Look! There's the crystal!"

Davis looked strait ahead. The rock floor of the cave ended in a deep pit. There was a series of stone platforms floating over the pit, which was the source of the blue light. At the center of the pit was a stone pillar, and floating on that pillar was the Digivolution Crystal. "YES!" Davis ran forward.

Gennai shouted, "Davis, wait! There may be traps!" 

Davis skidded to a halt, "Oh… yeah." He rolled his eyes. _Of course there would be traps. We can't have anything be easy for a change, now can we?_ Davis picked up a nearby pebble and tossed towards the pit. The pebble skipped across several platforms before falling between the gaps. Less than two seconds later, the touched platforms shrank down to a size that couldn't possibly support any of the group. After three seconds, the platforms returned to normal size. Davis gulped, _If I'd touched those platforms, I'd be falling down that pit right now._

Gennai nodded, "As I thought, Piedmon has taken steps to guard his treasures."

Veemon smiled, "Hey, no problem! I'll just armor digivolve into Flamedramon, fly over, and snatch the crystal!"

A voice boomed from below, "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH THE MASTER'S CRYSTAL!" There was a loud rumbling, and then an explosion on the other side of the pit. A huge gray beetle reared up out of the blue pit, roaring wildly and flexing its pinchers. 

Leomon took up a defensive stance, "Everyone, be careful! That's Okuwamon, the Ultimate form of Kuwagamon! His deadly attacks are Beetle Horn Attack and Double Scissor Claws!" 

Okuwamon snarled, "Master says anyone who tries to steal crystal is enemy. You come to steal crystal. You enemy!"  
Gennai backed up, "Not much on brains I see."

Leomon moved ran forward, "Fist of the Beast King!" The lion's head jumped from his fist.

"Beetle Horn Attack!" Okuwamon brought his two front pincers together. A spark of electric energy shot out and demolished Leomon's attack. The residual energy of Okuwamon's blast continued on and blew up at Leomon's feet. Leomon fell flat on his back.

"Leomon!" Davis and Veemon jumped forward. "Digiarmor energize!"

"Veemon armor digivolve to… Flamedramon: The Fire of Courage!" Flamedramon jumped in the air. "Fire Rocket!" His whole body became ablaze in flame and he dived headfirst at Okuwamon.

"Double Scissor Claws!" Flamedramon was batted away by one of Okuwamon's thick hands. 

Davis ran to his fallen friend, "Flamedramon! Are you alright?"

Flamedramon winced and stood up, "I'll be okay. Listen, Davis, we can't have a prolonged fight here, the others need us. Leomon and I will distract Okuwamon, but you have to get the crystal."

"But you'll get hurt!"

Flamedramon said, "This isn't about me! We need that crystal to win, and I know that you can get it. Can I count on you?"

Davis nodded, "You bet!"

"I knew I could count on you, my friend. Now start running!" Flamedramon jumped in at Okuwamon again while Davis made a run for the crystal. Flamedramon thought, _Getting beat up for a lousy crystal. I must be crazy._

********

Angemon demanded, "How do you know us? Who are you?"

The cloaked creature looked up at the Angel Digimon. "You'll know soon enough. V-Wing Blade!" 

Angemon dove under the incoming attack and held out his fist. "Hand of Fate!" The beam of energy plowed a small trench where the cloaked figure had just been standing.

Angewoman cried, "Angemon, behind you!"

Angemon turned around to see the cloaked creature directly behind him. With a laugh, the dark figure brought a fist down on the small of Angemon's back. Angemon screamed in pain and was knocked to the ground.

"ANGEMON!" Angewoman was furious, "Celestial Arrow!" She sent a shaft of white light in at the creature.

The cloaked attacker dodged the attack. He held out his withered hands, from which sprang two shafts of dark purple light. "Binding Rings!" He threw the beams of power at Angewoman. Before she could react, Angewoman found the two beams wrapping around her body. The first pinned her wings and arms to her body, and the second beam held her legs. The energy beams suddenly became metal. Angewoman plummeted to the ground and landed with a smash.

"Angewoman!" Angemon stood up. 

The cloaked figure landed. "Worry about yourself." 

"I won't ask you again, who are you and why are you attacking us?" There was a brief silence before the cloaked figure reached up with one hand and pulled his cloak back. Angemon's jaw dropped, as did the jaws of the Digidestined and Angewoman. "Piedmon?"

"What's left of him. You may call me Ex-Piedmon." It was true this was not the Piedmon that Angemon remembered. His mask was different. It was still half black and half white, but the black half no longer had an eyehole, and the heart design was gone from the white side. The whole mask itself was cracked and worn. Piedmon's hair, which had once been pointy and orange, was now limp and pale-yellow with streaks of gray. His one eye was beady and it darted all over, as if he could not control where he looked. Angemon got the feeling that Piedmon, or rather, Ex-Piedmon wasn't in full control of his mind.

Angemon asked, "How did you survive?"

Ex-Piedmon let out an insane little giggle, "That's not for you to know. I've been waiting to see you again, Angemon. Now, let us dance."

Angemon summoned his staff, "Ange-rod!" He took several swings at Ex-Piedmon. The former Dark Master dodged each one without any apparent effort. It was strange. When Ex-Piedmon moved it was if he was floating rather than walking or jumping. His movements were much too fluid. 

"Binding Rings!" Angemon was trapped just like Angewoman. 

"Angemon!" TK came running up with Kari directly behind him. 

Ex-Piedmon smiled, "I owe them as well, don't I? Binding Rings!" TK and Kari were trapped just like their respective Digimon.

"Kari!" Tai had finally bypassed the fire and was running for his sister.

"TK!" Matt was only two seconds behind Tai.

Ex-Piedmon shook his sleeve and one of his trump swords slid into his hand. "Trump Sword!" One swipe of the blade sent a stream of energy along the ground. The energy struck Tai and Matt head on and knocked them to the ground. The other Digidestined had not yet made it around the fire. 

Ex-Piedmon moved towards Angemon. "Three years… Three years in that stinking pit your call the 'Gate of Destiny!'" Ex-Piedmon grabbed Angemon's throat. His hand felt like rubber rather than flesh, and his grip was as hard as iron. Ex-Piedmon shouted, "Did you really think that I would let myself be defeated by the likes of you? You arrogant second-rate character! This is my play, and I decide the climax!" Angemon could feel his energy draining. Ex-Piedmon was sapping his strength! Angemon reverted back to Patamon. The binding rings vanished, but Patamon was too weak to even move.

Ex-Piedmon looked at TK and Kari, "And you two! Oh, I have plans for you and your friends." He made a rising gesture with his hand, and TK and Kari were lifted into the air by an unseen force. They floated after Ex-Piedmon as he approached Angewoman. Without a word, he drained Angewoman of all her energy until she reverted to Gatomon. Ex-Piedmon then led TK and Kari to the red sphere from which he had originally emerged. 

"TK! KARI!" The six older Digidestined chased after their friends, but they were too far away to help. 

Ex-Piedmon smiled and called after them, "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you secondary characters. This tragic comedy will come to close soon, after your friends have served their purpose." He laughed and entered the rift, followed closely by the still struggling TK and Kari. The rift sealed behind them.

********

Davis ran as fast he could over each of the stone platforms. Half of the platforms were gone due to Okuwamon's entrance, but that still left Davis one avenue to get the crystal. However, if he slowed down for even a second he'd find himself falling into the pit, where he'd probably have to wait for Okuwamon to return and eat him. Flamedramon and Leomon were making an admirable attempt to defeat the Ultimate Digimon, but they couldn't win. Okuwamon was simply too powerful.

Davis was only a few feet from the crystal, but the platforms around his feet were vanishing fast. The pillar above which the crystal floated was almost on the same level as Davis. He'd have to jump and grab the crystal on the first try and keep running to the other end of the pit before any of the platforms gave way. 

Legs pumping and his lungs screaming for air, Davis jumped up and snatched the crystal from its resting place above the pillar. He landed on a platform and was running before he had even reoriented himself. Suddenly, all of the platforms began to shrink in size. _Another trap!_ Davis somehow ran even faster than before, but he wouldn't make it in time. With a shout of both adrenaline and fear, Davis jumped again for the edge. The last of the platforms finished shrinking, and Davis fell short of the edge. Davis' free hand bumped against the wall, and he managed to grasp the edge. 

There was a loud thundering coming from the roof. Was the cave collapsing? Davis didn't have time to worry about that. The platforms had completely vanished from sight, and Okuwamon was suddenly leering down at him. Flamedramon and Leomon were lying on the other side of the cave, too beaten to move. 

Davis hung there, terrified and vulnerable. Okuwamon said, "Give back crystal, now!" 

Davis snarled, "No way bug-boy!" 

The thundering from the ceiling continued. Davis could hear someone shout, "Veedramon digivolve to… AeroVeedramon!" The ceiling gave way and Vee's Ultimate form could be seen dropping down among the rubble. Fortunately, most of the rocks that had once been part of the ceiling fell harmlessly into the pit while other rocks scattered around the cave without harming anyone. Vee shouted, "Leave them alone!" He soared down and tackled Okuwamon.

As the two titan wrestled with each other, Davis managed to pull himself out of the pit. Okuwamon bit down on Vee's arm, and Vee let out a shriek of pain. Capitalizing on the moment, Okuwamon managed to life his opponent and tossed him down beside Flamedramon and Leomon. Gennai ran up, "Vee, are you alright?"

Vee clutched his bleeding arm, "Just what I need… another scar."

Okuwamon advanced on the fallen Digimon while licking his fangs. "You taste good. I eat well." 

"STOP IT!" Davis sprinted forward and interposed himself between Okuwamon and the others. "Leave my friends alone!"

"Davis!" Flamedramon shouted, "Get out of the way!"

Davis turned his head, "You guys are my friends, I won't leave you!"

"Beetle Horn Attack!" The blast of energy jumped from Okuwamon's pincers again.

Leomon shouted, "DAVIS!" 

Vee said, "MOVE!"

Davis closed his eyes and stood his ground, "NO! I won't run away!" Suddenly, the crystal in Davis' hand began to shine with an inner light. A bright white glow filled the entire cave and sent pulses of energy out through the walls. The Beetle Horn Attack was dispersed in the blast of light. Okuwamon shrieked and roared in protest, as if the light itself was painful.

"Ahh!" Flamedramon shouted as his armor began to glow white. 

Gennai couldn't believe his eyes. "Flamedramon?" 

Flamedramon shouted, "THE POWER! What a rush!" He leaped into the air. "FIRE ROCKET!" He dove in towards Okuwamon again. This time, however, the fire surrounding his body was like a small sun. He smashed into the giant insect and drove him against the cave wall. The others watched in amazement as Flamedramon continued to press against the much larger Digimon. Finally, the cave wall gave in to the pressure, and a Okuwamon fell out of a newly open hole. The evil Digimon plummeted down towards the ground far below, and vanished from sight.

Flamedramon landed on the ground, and instantly fell to one knee. The light in his armor and in the crystal vanished. Flamedramon reverted back to Veemon. "Davis, that was incredible! I've never felt so powerful! Davis?" 

Davis lying on the ground with one hand clutched over his heart. "My heart… it burns…"

"Davis!" Veemon ran up to his friend, but Davis motioned for Veemon to back off.

"No, Veemon, it's okay. It doesn't hurt, it just feels weird. I felt like my chest was on fire, but it wasn't actually painful."

Leomon and Vee limped up with Gennai, who helped Davis stand up. "Davis you did it! You unlocked the crystal's power!"

Davis looked at the now ordinary-looking crystal in his hand. "I did, didn't I?"

Leomon smiled, "Nicely done."

Davis said, "When I saw that you were all in trouble I knew that I couldn't just run and leave you. Did the crystal react because I wouldn't run away?"

Gennai shrugged, "Who knows? This is the first time something like this has happened." 

Davis smiled, but it quickly vanished, "Okay, we've got the crystal. Now can I please join the others?"

Gennai nodded, "Yes. It's time for you to test the crystal's power against this new threat. We should get to a digiport right away."

Vee picked up Leomon and advanced to the hole that Okuwamon had fallen out of. "We'll meet you down there." He took off and flew down to the world below. Given their wounds, Davis had a feeling that they'd have a slightly rough landing, but they'd be okay.

Gennai pulled out a control and summoned Mechanorimon. "Let's go, Davis."

Davis smiled, "Hang on. I'd like to try something first. Digiarmor energize!" The digiegg of friendship appeared in the air.

"Veemon armor digivolve to… Raidramon: The Storm of Friendship!"

Davis punched his fist in the air, "YES! It worked! You did it, Veemon- I mean 

Raidramon!"

Raidramon smiled, "I didn't do anything Davis. It's you who makes it possible for me to digivolve. Now, let's get going."

"Right!" Davis mounted Raidramon and they jumped down and away from Spiral Mountain's remains.

********  


Finding a digiport TV had been extremely easy. Now, after a week in the Digital World, Davis and Veemon were going to return home.

Davis smiled at his assembled friends, "Leomon, thanks for everything. I don't know what I would have done if not for you."

Leomon smiled, "I am honored to know you, Davis. I will see you again soon. Please say hello to the others for me."

Davis nodded, "Vee, when this is over, I promise that I'll come back and help you find your missing clan members."

Vee smiled, "I look forward to it. Good luck, Davis."

Davis said, "Gennai, thanks for coming with us. It's great to have you for a friend."

Gennai smiled, "Thank you, Davis. I'll be watching your progress at my home and I will help whenever I can. Take care of that crystal." The Digivolution Crystal hung from a small gold chain around Davis' neck. It hadn't glowed since Davis had first released its power. 

Davis looked over at the last member of the troop. "See ya, Mechanorimon."

The robotic Digimon waved a claw. "Bye-bye."

Gennai's jaw dropped, "You can talk? You never told me you could talk!"

Mechanorimon said matter-of-factly, "You never tried to start a conversation."

"But for forty years? Forty years we've been together and you haven't said a word to me!"

"I made a few noises."

Gennai said, "I thought you simply needed oil."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

Davis smiled and shook his head as the argument continued. He and Veemon turned around. "Digiport open!" The TV monitor flashed white.

_Hang on, guys. I'm coming!_  


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Davis and Veemon face off against Ex-Piedmon to save the other Digidestined in Day 9 of Walkabout!

Author's note: Ex-Piedmon is my own creation, kind of. I mean, I did get the idea from the original Piedmon, so I don't know if this falls under joint ownership or simple copyright infringement. Oh well, as long as I don't get sued, who cares? 


	9. Day 9

Walkabout

Day 9: Battle

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, so all characters and creatures fall under their ownership. However, I do feature some of my own creations in this chapter, please don't use them without my permission.*

Author's note: Wow, I don't have anything to say besides my usual thanks to everyone who sends in reviews. Guess I'm low on material. Oh well, thanks to all those who critique my work, because you guys are the ones who let me know how good a job I'm doing, and I really appreciate that.

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To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.   
-Lao-Tzu

The digiport's light faded, and Davis found himself back in the computer room of his school. His clothing had returned to normal, but the Digivolution Crystal was still hung from his neck. He took a quick look around the room. The clocks showed that it was after midnight, and most of the lights in the nearby houses were out. It felt strange to be back after so long. So much had happened since that Friday when he had heard everyone laughing at him in this very room. Now it was Saturday, a full week later. 

Davis shook his head. No time for reminiscing, he had to help the others. "Demiveemon, let's get going." Davis took out his D3 and set it to detect. The others had to be fighting somewhere nearby. His digivice showed six red dots a fair distance from the school, just within the D3's limited range. Davis frowned. The red dots signified the older kids, but the signatures of Davis' team weren't anywhere to be found. Davis knew the truth. _Something bad has happened. _

Davis and Demiveemon ran to the front door and let themselves out. "Demiveemon, I want you to digivolve all the way to Raidramon. We have to get to the others fast!"

Demiveemon nodded, "Right! Demiveemon digivolve to… Veemon!"

Davis took out his digital tools. "Digiarmor energize!"

"Veemon armor digivolve to… Raidramon: The Storm of Friendship!" Davis mounted his Digimon and they ran off towards the city. 

********

"KARI! KARI!" Tai shouted frantically at dead air. He slumped to his knees, too weak to stand. "She's gone…"

"TK…" Tears cascaded down Matt's face. His little brother was lost to him. 

"Tai…" Sora put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't give up hope. We'll find a way to save them."

Izzy whispered to the others, "But I don't know where they've gone. We'll have to try and track their digivices."

"HEY! Tai! Guys!" Davis and Raidramon came running up the street.

Joe's face brightened, "Davis! You made it!"

Davis slid off of Raidramon, "Sorry we're late." 

Tai and Matt ran up to him. To Davis' surprise, Tai grabbed him by the shirt and growled to his face. "Sorry? Sorry doesn't cut it! Kari and the others needed you and you never showed!"

Matt shouted right in Davis' face, "TK and the others were captured while you were taking your sweet time showing up! Don't you care about your friends?" Davis couldn't reply. He'd never seen Tai or Matt like this before.

"Stop it!" Sora shoved her way between Davis and his accusers. She slapped Tai and Matt across their faces. They both stared at Sora in stunned amazement. Sora berated them, "Davis came as fast as he could! Just because you two are concerned about Kari and TK you don't have the right to turn on him! He's here now, so let's figure out how to rescue the others!" 

Tai looked at his feet. He grumbled, "Sorry, Davis."

Davis shook his head, "No. You're both right. I should have been there for Kari and the others." His face brightened, "But don't worry. I'll get them back no matter what it takes! But, what happened here?" 

Joe stepped up, "We were attacked by a cloaked Digimon. He had the powers of several Digimon, but his real name is Piedmon."

"Piedmon?" Davis couldn't believe it.

Mimi frowned, "You've heard of him?"

"Gennai told me about him."

All of the older kids yelled, "GENNAI?"

Izzy asked, "When did you meet Gennai?"

Davis replied, "It's a long story, but basically I ran into him while I was in the Digital World. Where did Piedmon go?"

Matt said, "He took the others and vanished into a glowing red sphere. We don't have any idea where they went."

Davis' digiterminal pinged. He pulled the tool out, and flicked on the screen. A familiar face was placed on the digiterminal. "Gennai!"

Gennai smiled, "Davis, I have some good news for you. I've found a way to enter the alternate dimension."

Davis smiled, "Great! How do I get there? I've got to save the others!" 

Gennai said, "There's nothing to it. Hold out your digiterminal and I'll upload the program to you. Good luck, Davis."

"Thanks." Davis held out his digiterminal and waited. There was a brief download phase, and then a red light shot out of the digiterminal's interface port. The beam of light seemed to collide with the air in front of Davis. A red tear appeared in the air, which quickly grew into a teardrop-shaped portal. Davis got back on his Digimon. "Guys, I promise that I'll bring Kari, TK, and the others back. Raidramon, let's go!" 

Tai shouted after them, "Good luck, Davis!"

Matt called, "Be careful!" 

Poromon and Upamon, who had reverted back to In-Training, called, "Please bring the others back!"

With a growl, Raidramon leaped into the tear in space and time.

********

TK strained against his restraints out of anger more than out of hope of escape. TK, Kari, Yolei, and Cody held to columns of rock by Ex-Piedmon's Binding Rings. The strange thing was that the boulders to which the four Digidestined were bound were the only features on the landscape. The realm that Ex-Piedmon had taken them to was comprised of a huge mass of rock with a flat top. There was a black energy shield surrounding the rock mass, and beyond the barrier was an infinite space of what looked like blue lightning. TK didn't have a clue where they were. 

TK demanded, "What do you want with us?"

Ex-Piedmon leaned in right in front of TK's face, "Life."

"Life? What do you mean life?"

Ex-Piedmon waved a finger, "Ah, ah. No exposition before the climax." A sudden flash of red diverted Ex-Piedmon's attention. "Ohh, the tragic hero arrives. You might have your answers sooner than I expected."

Something black jumped out of the light and snarled. A voice shouted, "GUYS!"

Kari's mouth fell, "Davis? Davis, you came!"

Davis smiled from Raidramon's back, "Sorry I'm late."

Ex-Piedmon smiled and moved forward, "Thank you for finally showing up, young outcast. Welcome to my home."

Raidramon growled, "Who are you calling an outcast?"

Davis huff, "Less questions, more blasting. Fry him!" Davis wasn't in the mood for unnecessary talk. Seeing the others after so long left him feeling a little edgy. Besides, Piedmon had it coming. 

Raidramon leaped into the air. "Blue Thunder!" Ex-Piedmon jumped away and the lighting attack struck the ground without even phasing him. 

Ex-Piedmon landed right between TK and Kari. He frowned, "So eager cut to the punch-line? Don't you want to know who I am or what I've done?"

Davis snarled, "I already know who you are. You killed Gennai's fiancée, and you manipulated Blossomon! You murdered the AeroVeedramon Elder and started a war between the Veedramon and the Hidden Village! I'm already sick of you, you freak!"

Yolei asked, "What in the world are you talking about?"

Ex-Piedmon clapped, "Such melodrama. Wonderful!" His trump sword fell into his hand and he held the blade up to TK's throat. "Still don't want to hear my story?"

TK said, "Don't do it, Davis. Finish him off quick."

Davis glared daggers at Ex-Piedmon. He said through clenched teeth, "Raidramon, let me down." Raidramon touched down and Davis dismounted. 

TK kept his face turned towards Ex-Piedmon, but he looked at Davis out the side of his eye. "Davis, don't let him bully you. Finish him quick before he gets the upper hand!"

Davis said, "Shut up, TM. Okay, Piedmon, let's hear your stupid story."

Ex-Piedmon took the sword away from TK's throat, but stayed close to his captives. "Once upon a time, there was a Dark Master by the name of Piedmon. Using his incredible power, he conquered the entire Digital World and ruled with an iron fist! But then, the Digidestined invaded his home, Spiral Mountain. The Digidestined at the time were too weak and divided to oppose him and his allies. But Piedmon was far too cocky, and he gave the Digidestined too much time to organize themselves. One by one, the Dark Masters fell before the Digidestined until only Piedmon was left-"

Yolei yawned, "Is this going anywhere?"

Cody said, "I agree. This is taking far too long."

Davis nodded, "Yeah, get on with it!"

TK said, "We've been there."

Kari chimed in, "And we've seen it all. You're boring, Piedmon."

Ex-Piedmon shouted, "Silence!" He cleared his throat, "Piedmon faced the Digidestined, and actually defeated the two Megas WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon. Then Piedmon began to transform all of the Digidestined into key-chains until only the two youngest were left." Ex-Piedmon grabbed Kari's chin, "This little peach was one of those two children."

TK shouted, "Don't touch her!" 

Ex-Piedmon grabbed TK's chin as well, "And here is the other. It seemed as though Piedmon had won the day, but this little boy ruined his plans. By focusing all of his hope, this young Digidestined managed to digivolve his-"

Davis interrupted, "He digivolved Angemon into MagnaAngemon, and MagnaAngemon kicked your butt. The end!" 

Ex-Piedmon grabbed Kari's throat, "One more interruption and I'll break her neck, understand?"

Davis growled, "You do that and I'll tear you apart!"

Ex-Piedmon smiled, "Then you'd both lose your lives. Now, if I may continue? Yes, Piedmon was defeated by the Digidestined and was banished to the Gate of Destiny, along with a swarm of Vilemon. The Gate was designed to delete Piedmon within a pocket of warped space, but Piedmon would not allow himself to be defeated. Although a good deal of his body was deleted, enough of it survived to keep him functioning. Piedmon fought back and created a barrier between himself and the Gate of Destiny by taking power from the dying Vilemon. That barrier has kept what's left of Piedmon alive for three years."

Kari's face turned white, "We're in the Gate of Destiny?"

Ex-Piedmon smiled, "Yes. Welcome to my nightmare. This realm of danger and death has been my home for over three lonely years! I constructed this little patch of land using debris from Spiral Mountain, and I have struggled to survive each day of my life. All that time I have dreamed of revenge against my captors."

TK asked, "How did you become so powerful? All of those new attacks, how did you gain them?"

Ex-Piedmon smiled, "You humans have a saying, 'That which does not kill me only makes me stronger.' The same is true for myself. After I regained my strength, I found that the partial deletion had increased my strength. I decided to use this area to train and to grow stronger. I even dropped the barrier a few times to delete more of my body and so that I could grow stronger as I healed."

Davis couldn't believe it, "You've been killing yourself in order to become stronger?"

Ex-Piedmon smiled, "Yes. But this power comes with a price. I soon found that I would not live long enough to take my revenge. I needed great power to finally stabilize my body, and so I searched for the greatest powers in the Digital world: The power of the Digidestined. I've watched you five ever since your new quest began. Your powers surpass event those of the elder Digidestined. By taking your energy I will finally cease my slow deletion, and then I can re-establish my empire!"

Davis crossed his arms, "Well that's a stupid plan. I was in the Digital World for over a week and you didn't come after me once."

Ex-Piedmon retorted, "Oh, but you had a different purpose to serve. By my calculations, I only need three or four Digidestined to feast upon. But before I could carry out my plans, I needed to prolong my life and gain strength for an attack, so I set about taking the energy of dying Digimon. But the one question was how to do this without drawing attention to myself." He gestured at Davis. "Enter the outcast Digidestined! Shunned by his friends and feeling alone he retreats to the Digital World in order to try to improve himself. All it took was one anonymous e-mail to make the other Digidestined so worried about him that they never noticed my attacks!"

Davis was furious that his walkabout had actually helped this freak, "Is that why you started the attack on the Hidden Village?"

Ex-Piedmon said, "And Meadow Town. I find it easier to have someone like Darklizardmon or AeroVeedramon kill Digimon so that I can take their energy without draining my reserves. Unfortunately, you were always in the wrong place at the wrong time and you thwarted my plans. That's why I had Alraumon attack you and remove you from the play just long enough for me to kidnap the others. Of course, I was still able to absorb the dying Darklizardmon, Elder AeroVeedramon, and I even used a little power to delete and absorb Alraumon. Sadly, with each absorption I have lost a part of myself, hence the name Ex-Piedmon. I am but a shadow of my former self. But now I have what I need to live again! This time no force can stop me!"  
"Wrong!" Davis jerked a thumb at himself, "I'm going to stop you!"

Yolei muttered, "We're doomed." 

Cody hissed, "Yolei! Show some support!"

Ex-Piedmon said, "Well, now that I have given the background information, the time for the climax has finally arrived. And the time for masks has ended!" Ex-Piedmon reached up and placed a hand behind his chin. His hand pulled back and ripped off what had actually been a mask. Ex-Piedmon's true mouth was a mix of a Vilemon's lower jaw and an AeroVeedramon's upper jaw. Ex-Piedmon then reached up and pulled the wig off his head. His hair had been replaced by Darklizardmon's black fire.

"And this disguise is no longer needed!" Ex-Piedmon pulled off his cloak and the two gloves that had disguised his arms. Although his clothing was that of the original Piedmon, his body was a digital chop shop. One of his forearms was that of Darklizardmon's while the other was Alraumon's. Two sets of wings sprung from his back, one set was an AeroVeedramon's while the other was that of a Vilemon. AeroVeedramon's tail dangled from Ex-Piedmon's waist, and same Digimon's spikes protruded from Ex-Piedmon's elbows. His one remaining Trump Sword, the spade sword, was positioned between the wings. The most horrifying fact, however, was that Ex-Piedmon had no legs. His body ended at his waist, which was slowly deleting in front of Digidestined's eyes. Davis realized the truth. _He really is dying!_

Ex-Piedmon whirled around to look at his captives and laugh. None of the children could hold in a scream of fear of the freak standing before them. Davis and Raidramon stood fixed with horror at the thing in front of them. Davis thought, _He's just like Chimeramon. No, he's worse! Chimeramon was created from parts of different Digimon, he couldn't help how he looked; but this thing stole his parts from the dead! He chose to become what he is now!_

Ex-Piedmon looked at Davis, "Behold my true self. This is the face of your new master! Do you still wish to oppose me?" He began to advance.

Davis took up a ready stance. "Raidramon, this thing's already half-dead, let's finish the job!"

"Right!" Raidramon jumped forward and charged Ex-Piedmon. "Electric Bite!" Electricity flashed across his fangs as he dove for the evil Digimon.

"Nemesis Ivy!" Ex-Piedmon wrapped his vines around Raidramon's neck and pulled him down. Raidramon bit down on the vines and sent a charge through the plant into Ex-Piedmon's body. Ex-Piedmon shrieked at the charge and withdrew his attack. 

Raidramon leaped back and braced himself, "I've fought all the Digimon that you absorbed. I know all your moves. You don't have surprise on your side this time, Ex-Piedmon!"

Ex-Piedmon smiled, "Then let me use some of my original attacks. Clown Trick!" A blast of energy flew from Ex-Piedmon's hand. It had no color, but it made the air shimmer. Raidramon was caught off-guard by the speed of the attack, and was knocked back.

Ex-Piedmon continued, "Trump Sword!" He tossed his one remaining weapon. It struck Raidramon in the head and sent him tumbling. Raidramon changed back into Veemon and rolled to a stop.

"Veemon!" Davis ran to his friend and helped him up. Veemon had a cut on his forehead. "Veemon, hang in there!"

Veemon shook his head and hopped up, "Just a little set back! Put me back in, Davis!"  
"Right! Digiarmor energize!"

"Veemon digivolve to… Flamedramon: The Fire of Courage!" Flamedramon squared off against Ex-Piedmon.

"Trump Sword!" The spade sword flew forward again.

"Don't underestimate me! I won't fall for the same attack twice!" Flamedramon dodged the blade and flew in at his enemy. "Fire Knuckle!" He punched Ex-Piedmon in the gut. Ex-Piedmon grunted and leaned forward. Flamedramon brought his knee into Ex-Piedmon's chest, then decked him on the side of his head. 

Ex-Piedmon stumbled and recovered, "Dread Fire!" Flames shot from his clawed hand and reached for Flamedramon with a ravenous appetite.

Flamedramon jumped over the flames at the last minute. "Let me show you how it's done! Fire Rocket!" He flew in at Ex-Piedmon like a meteor. Ex-Piedmon jumped out of harms way, but the force of the resulting explosion sent him sprawling. Flamedramon stepped out of a newly formed crater. "Give it up, Ex-Piedmon. I won't back down until you're beaten. Make it easy on both of us and free the others."

Ex-Piedmon hovered back into the air. "Binding Rings!" Dark Purple streams of light flew in a wrapped around Flamedramon.

"What?" The beams became metal, and Flamedramon found himself bound and completely unable to move. He fell on his chest and struggled to free his arms and legs.

While all this was happening, Davis had moved around to try and free the others. He tugged at TK's bonds, but they wouldn't budge. "It's no use. I can't break them."

TK gasped, "Then would you stop pulling on them? I can't breath!"  
"Oh, sorry."

Kari said, "Davis, Flamedramon's in trouble!"

"What?" Davis looked over at his friend. Ex-Piedmon had left Flamedramon struggling on the ground and was advancing on the Digidestined after collecting his Trump Sword. "Great." Davis muttered and ran to the front of the group.

Ex-Piedmon said, "Your Digimon is very strong. All that combat you experienced has raised his power. But you can't seriously expect a mere armor Digimon to defeat a Mega.

Davis growled, "I don't care if I have to fight you myself, you're not going to win!"

Ex-Piedmon chuckled, "Risking your life for those who laughed at you? How touching." His Clown Trick attack appeared above his claw. "I wonder how far you're willing to sacrifice yourself to save them. Shall we play a game?" He tossed the sphere.

Davis tracked the line of the attack. It wasn't heading for Davis, it was heading for… "CODY!" Davis ran in front of Cody and threw his arms wide. This was gonna hurt. 

The blast struck Davis directly in his chest. It felt as though someone had punched him hard, only it burned. Davis stumbled back and gave a deep gasp for air. Ex-Piedmon threw another Clown Trick. This one was heading for Yolei. _Dang it!_ He skidded to a halt right in front of the captive girl. The Clown Trick attack pounded his shoulder. Davis fell back on his butt with a choked off moan. 

Flamedramon shouted from his position on the ground, "Davis, hang on!" He continued to struggle against his bonds.

Kari shouted, "Davis, stay down! Stop it or you'll get yourself killed."

Davis struggled to his feet, "Hey, I got everything under control. Don't worry about it…" He was starting to have trouble breathing.

TK shouted, "Don't be stupid! He's killing you! Let some of those attacks go, we can handle them!"

Yolei yelped, "We can?"

Cody said, "Yes, we CAN."

Yolei sighed, "Yeah, we can. Stay down, Davis."

Davis shook his head violently, "No! I promised Tai and the others that I'd get you guys back, and that's what I'm gonna do. I can handle this!"

"Clown Trick!" 

Davis tracked the next blast, "Kari!" He half-stumbled, half-ran to intercept the blast. He managed to shield Kari with the side of his body. 

Kari's eyes were wide with horror. "DAVIS! STOP IT!" 

Ex-Piedmon said, "You're going to have to be stronger than that. Clown Trick!" He fired another sphere of invisible energy at TK. 

Davis knew he couldn't run fast enough to intercept the blast. Instead, he jumped up with every ounce of strength he had left. The energy collided with his head and sent him rebounding off TK's chest and tumbling to the ground. Davis lay there, dazed an in pain.

"Davis!" TK shouted, "Hang on!"

"Don't die!" Kari cried. Tears were streaming down the faces of all four children.

Yolei demanded to Ex-Piedmon, "How could you do that to him?"

Ex-Piedmon shrugged, "It's fun." He laughed.

Davis coughed and felt something wet and thick trickle out of his mouth. It was blood. He resisted the urge to curl into a ball from the pain. He couldn't quit now, everyone was counting on him. _I won't lose!_ The Digivolution Crystal began to glow slightly. Davis could feel at least part of his strength returning. _Stand up… Gotta stand up. I will not lose!_ The crystal's glow grew brighter.

Ex-Piedmon frowned as Davis began to rise. How can he have that much power left? That's when he saw the glowing crystal around Davis' neck. Ex-Piedmon's face fell, how could the outcast have the crystal? "Nemesis Ivy!" The vines shot out and wrapped around Davis' neck. Davis barely had time to gasp for air before the vines dragged him towards Ex-Piedmon. The vines shortened back into Ex-Piedmon's fingers and they squeezed down on Davis' neck. The crystal stopped glowing.

Ex-Piedmon held Davis high and demanded, "How did you get the Digivolution crystal? How did you make it glow? Tell me now!"

Davis choked under Ex-Piedmon's grasp. He clawed at Ex-Piedmon's grip with both hands. "You think you're so smart-*gasp*- go figure it out yourself!"

Ex-Piedmon squeezed harder, "I don't have patients for you, boy. Tell me the answer now!"

The world flickered between light and darkness for Davis. His hands began to fall to his sides. "I… I…"

"Yes?"

Davis squeezed his hands into fists and the crystal began to glow again. "I… won't… LOSE!" White lightning shot out of the crystal and danced across Ex-Piedmon's body. He screamed and dropped Davis. Not taking the time to catch his breath, Davis grabbed the crystal in his hand and shoved it right into Ex-Piedmon's face. Ex-Piedmon screamed again as the lightning continued to eat at his body. 

The binding rings around Flamedramon and the other children began to weaken as Piedmon fell under the crystal's power. Ex-Piedmon grabbed the scuff of Davis' shirt and tossed him with all his strength. Davis flew into the air and began to plummet to the ground. The crystal's shine vanished again.

Flamedramon gave one last flex of his muscles and shattered the rings around his body. "Davis!" He flew up and caught his friend in mid-air. Flamedramon touched down while holding Davis in his arms. "Davis, speak to me! Are you alright?"

Davis gave a weak smile, "Yeah…" His voice was hoarse after being deprived of air for so long. Davis slumped to his hands and knees as soon as Flamedramon let him down. He took several deep breaths before speaking. "He's too strong for you, Flamedramon. Let's kick it up a notch!"

Flamedramon smiled, "Right!" He reverted back to Veemon.

Ex-Piedmon regained his power, "You will pay for that!" 

Davis held up his D3, "Let me show you one of my tricks! Do it, Veemon!"

"Veemon digivolve to… XVmon!" 

"How quaint, a pathetic little Champion." Ex-Piedmon laughed.

Davis took out his digiterminal, "Who said anything about a Champion?" He hit a button and the crests of courage and friendship rocketed into the air and sent their power into XVmon.

"XVmon digivolve to… Paildramon!" Ex-Piedmon's eyes widened at the sight of an Ultimate Digimon. Was this how the Digidestined boy had defeated AeroVeedramon?

Paildramon charged forward and brought a fist down at Ex-Piedmon. Ex-Piedmon jumped and dodged the attack. He soared into the air above Paildramon. "V-Wing Blade!" 

Paildramon saw the attack coming, "Dragon Strike!" His body flashed red and he jumped head-on into the energy wave. There was a flash of light, and then Paildramon was on the other side of the explosion. Ex-Piedmon couldn't react fast enough before Paildramon caught up to him. Paildramon took one clawed hand and swatted Ex-Piedmon like a bug. Ex-Piedmon streaked towards the ground and created a small crater upon impact. Ex-Piedmon looked up just in time to see Paildramon's foot come down upon him. 

Paildramon rubbed his foot, crushing Ex-Piedmon beneath it. Davis shouted, "Don't leave anything to chance. Make sure he's finished!"

Paildramon nodded and took two steps back, "Dramon Blasters!" He sent volley after volley of red light into Ex-Piedmon's hole. The ground was upturned and incinerated by Paildramon's attacks. By the time the Dramon-type Digimon finished, the ground had been reduced to smoking rubble.

Kari blinked, "Wow…"

TK was about the same as Kari, "Now that's an attack!" 

Suddenly, there was another explosion from the decimated plot of land. Ex-Piedmon emerged and roared furiously. He was battered and bruised, but not beaten. He held out both of his mismatched hands. A huge blast of rippling energy shot out and struck Paildramon. "Trump sword!" A slice of raw power sent Paildramon tumbling and forced him to revert to Veemon. 

"Veemon!" Davis ran to his fallen friend. 

"Clown Trick!" Davis turned his back to the attack and shielded Veemon with his body. The shock sent Davis flying over the edge of the rock mass and into the abyss beyond.

All of the Digidestined cried, "DAVIS!" 

Ex-Piedmon laughed in triumph. 

********  


Davis winced in free fall. He and an unconscious Veemon were falling towards the bottom of the sphere protecting Ex-Piedmon's home from the Gate of Destiny's power. When they hit the barrier, they'd either be vaporized or they'd pass through and be deleted by the Gate of Destiny. Either way, they were dead.

_It can't end like this!_ Davis looked at Veemon. His Digimon was so close. _If he can just Digivolve, we can fly back up and keep fighting._ He winced again at a fresh stab of pain. _I'm so tired, but I can't quit now! I've come too far to quit now!_ If Davis gave up then the souls of Blossomon and all the other Digimon murdered by Piedmon would never rest in peace. He had to win this for his friends. Davis reached for Veemon and began to drift towards his partner. Time seemed to slow for Davis as he tried to reach Veemon.

"Veemon!" Davis gabbed hold of his Digimon and shook him, "C'mon buddy, this is a lousy time for a nap!"

"Davis?" Veemon's eyes fluttered open.

Davis smiled, "Hey, time to digivolve pal!"

Veemon whimpered, "But I'm too tired. I can't digivolve."

Davis said, "If you don't digivolve then we're dead. Come on, Veemon, I know you can do it!"

"But Ex-Piedmon's too strong for me."

Davis shook his head, "I don't care how strong he is! We're not beaten yet! I don't care if Ex-Piedmon's the strongest Mega in history, we're not going to lose to a freak show like him!" The crystal began to glow once again. "We've been through too much to just throw in the towel! You're the best Digimon partner I could ever have and I know that together we can beat that monster and save the others! Let's show Ex-Piedmon who the Mon is!" 

Veemon smiled, "You're right, Davis!" He looked down, "Davis, the crystal!"

Davis looked down at the shinning jewel at his neck. It was glowing brighter than ever before. Davis knew that he needed to unlock the crystal's power in order to win, and to do that, he needed to focus. Davis thought, _If I lose now I'll never get the chance to talk to the others and try and save our friendship. Everyone's counting on me and I'm not going to fail them. I'm not beaten because I'm stronger than anyone realizes! So come on you hunk of glass, show me what you've got!_

The crystal flashed with the strongest pulse of white light Davis had seen. His eyes closed involuntarily as the shining light seemed to fill the entire realm. Suddenly, Davis and Veemon weren't falling anymore. They hovered mere inches from the barrier.

"Hey," Veemon looked around, "Who hit the air brakes?"

Davis looked at the crystal. Words were forming in his mind. Davis said, "Crystal armor energize!" A white beam shot out of the crystal and struck Veemon in the chest. Veemon's form became a silhouette in the intense light. Davis suddenly felt a burning in his chest like he had the first time he'd unlocked the crystal's power. He looked down. The crests of courage and friendship were shinning brightly on his chest. They were reacting to the crystal.

"Veemon crystal digivolve to…" Veemon's outline changed. It became larger and more humanoid, like Flamedramon's form. His hands spouted claws, and his tail grew until it was almost as long as his legs.. The light faded. "Diamon: The Strength of Will!" 

Diamon looked like a cross between Flamedramon and WarGreymon. His armor was made out of cut diamond, and it glowed with an inner white light. It covered his chest, shoulders, legs, and hands. He also had gold and ruby trim along sections of his armor. A helmet covered the upper half of his head, with red eyes shinning out of his visor. Two wrist guards similar to WarGreymon's claws shielded his hands, but the claws were made of gold. Several waist guards protected his mid section and each bore either the crest of courage or friendship. Two shields were attached Diamon's back, but instead of hanging there, the two halves rose above his shoulders to create dual wings of diamond, gold, and ruby. Twin thrusters protruded from his shield wings. 

Davis blinked. He'd never seen a Digimon like this before. "Is this what the crystal can do?"

Diamon nodded, "Let's finished this." He held on to Davis with one arm and ignited his thrusters. Davis and Diamon headed back up to face Ex-Piedmon one last time.

********

Ex-Piedmon couldn't decide what he enjoyed more: killing the Digidestined boy, or the looks on the other children's faces. They were all weeping at the death of their former ally. Now, they would all give their power to him, and he would rule two worlds as he had always planned. 

A sudden gasp from the girl of light caught Ex-Piedmon's attention. She was leaning forward as far as her bindings would allow. 

TK shouted, "Kari, what's wrong? Ah!" His face took on a surprised look as well. The other two Digidestined soon gasped.

Yolei whispered, "My heart… it's hot. What's going on?"

Cody said, "Guys, our crests are reacting!" Indeed, the crests of each Digidestined were glowing on their chests.

TK asked, "What's going on?"

Kari whispered, "It's Davis. Davis is doing this somehow!"

Ex-Piedmon whirled around to look where he had thrown the outcast. A bright light was shinning from far below. "What?" 

A blur of white and blue flashed over the edge and flew above the ground. Davis dropped down from the air.

"DAVIS!" Everyone cried happily. 

Davis smiled, "Hey, I'd like to introduce my new friend." A Digimon lowered himself to the ground in front of Davis. 

Ex-Piedmon looked at this newcomer wearily. There was a strange power emanating from him. "Who are you? The cast has already been listed!"

The Digimon smiled, "Last minute replacement. I am the Crystal Digimon Diamon. As Veemon I use the Digivolution Crystal to Crystal Digivolve. My gold claw is stronger than Chromedigizoid armor, and my Diamond Beam can cut through anything imaginable."

Ex-Piedmon frowned, "A Crystal Digimon? Never heard of it."

Diamon smiled, "I'm the first ever. But I can tell you now, Ex-Piedmon, you can't win."

Ex-Piedmon laughed, "Shall we test that? Trump Sword!" He charged Diamon and aimed his sword that the new Digimon's head. Diamon raised his arm shield and intercepted the blade. The trump sword split in two upon contact, but Diamon's armor didn't have a scratch. Ex-Piedmon gasped and moved back. 

Diamon held up one claw. The blades extended to form even longer claws. "Gold Claw!" He slashed downward at Ex-Piedmon. Ex-Piedmon tried to dodge backwards, but Diamon was too fast. The blades ripped across Ex-Piedmon's face, cutting away a large chunk of Ex-Piedmon's mask.

"My face! You've ruined my face!"

Diamon frowned, "Are you kidding? Anything I do to your face will be an improvement."

"Dread Fire!" Diamon was swallowed in a sea of flames. For a moment the dark fire crackled and burned, but then a blast of energy snuffed the flames out. Diamon stood there without a single blemish. 

"You can't beat me with brute force, Ex-Piedmon!" Diamon took up a ready stance, "Now, let me show you true power!" His thrusters ignited and he tackled Ex-Piedmon, then drove his knee into the monster's stomach. Diamon then struck with his elbow, dazing Ex-Piedmon even more. Diamon continued to punch and kick Ex-Piedmon until his opponent was too battered to fight back. 

Diamon finally finished his attack by spinning in the air and smashing his tail into Ex-Piedmon's head. Ex-Piedmon fell to the ground and lay there. "How… how can you be stronger than me?" He laughed madly, "Oh well, it doesn't matter! I'll kill you all anyway! If I can't win, no one can!" He raised his hand and the barrier of dark energy vanished. Blue lightning rained down towards the group. They were all going to be deleted.

"NO!" Davis held up the still-glowing crystal. _Block it!_ A sphere of white energy appeared from nowhere and deflected the deadly bolts of energy. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

Ex-Piedmon looked at Davis, "It's you! You're giving him this power!"

Davis blinked, "What?"

Diamon looked over his shoulder, "It's true, Davis. A Crystal Digimon's energy comes from the emotions and desires of his partner. Your desire to save the others is what's giving me all of this power."

Davis smiled. _I'm the one giving Diamon all that power? COOL! _His face became stern. _That means that I have to concentrate._

Ex-Piedmon laughed, "So that's how it is, is it? Well then, you are not wholly unbeatable, are you, Diamon?" Ex-Piedmon's eye glowed red. Diamon braced himself for the oncoming attack, but it took him a moment to realize that Ex-Piedmon was actually looking past him.

Diamon whirled around, "Davis!" Too late. Davis' gaze was distant and glassy. His eyes were out of focus, and a black aura surrounded his body. Diamon looked back, "Release him!" He raised a threatening claw. Suddenly, that claw fell to the ground and created a small pothole on impact. Diamon's other claw smashed to the ground a moment later.

Cody called, "Diamon, what's wrong?"

"My-my armor! It's so heavy!" Diamon's armor began to change from brilliant white to pale gray. "What's happening?"

Ex-Piedmon sniggered, "How poetic, the great Digimon Diamon crushed to death by his partner's heavy heart." He looked back at Davis, "Davis, poor unappreciated Davis. Do you really think that any of the Digidestined care about you?"

********

Davis blinked to check and see if his eyes were actually open. He couldn't see a thing; there was total blackness all around him. "Where am I?" His question echoed in the void, but no answer came.

Something sounded off in the darkness, "Davis, poor unappreciated Davis. Do you really think that any of the Digidestined care about you?"

Davis felt uneasy. This felt very wrong. He answered in a meek voice. "I… I think they do." Actually, he still wasn't all that sure, but he didn't want to give that away.

The voice sounded, "Oh, but you are wrong. They don't care about you. After all, they laughed at you. Don't you remember the computer room?"

Davis suddenly felt the sadness in his heart growing again. "You know about that?"

"I can see it in your mind. Their laughter haunted you. You trusted them with your friendship, and they betrayed you by laughing at you behind your back. Is that was friends do?"

Davis felt his knees begin to turn to jelly. "No… they don't."

********

Davis was looking weaker by the moment, and Diamon's armor was starting to turn black and was crushing him even more.

Kari shouted, "Davis, don't listen to him! He's lying!"

TK called, "We ARE your friends!"

Cody said, "We're sorry about laughing at you, we didn't mean to hurt you!"  
Yolei shouted, "Don't let that freak control you!"

Diamon groaned, "Davis, don't give in to his lies! You're too strong for that!" His armor continued to press down on him. Diamon was actually creating another crater just from the weight of his body. 

Ex-Piedmon looked back at the group. "He cannot hear you. Mine is the only voice that he will listen to. No one can resist my Deadly Gaze."

********

The voice vanished for a moment, leaving Davis alone to think about his fate. The others didn't care about him. It was just as he had feared. He slumped to his knees. He felt so alone.

The voice returned, "Davis, you're friends do not care for you, because, in truth, there is no such thing as friendship! We are all alone in this world. We come in alone, and we leave alone. Friendship is a pathetic illusion created by the weak!"

Davis repeated numbly, "Alone… all alone…"

"Yes. It was foolish of you to search for friendship, because friendship does not exist. You have been betrayed."

"Betrayed…"

"You don't have to sacrifice yourself for those who do not care about you. They are beneath your concern. Think of yourself. Admit it, you hate the other Digidestined!"

"I hate them?"

"YES! Yolei is always making snide remarks about you and showing off her computer skills. Cody is always telling you what to do, even though you are the elder. TK upstages you every chance he gets, and blocks you from being with Kari. Kari herself drags you along by flirting with TK, and uses your feelings for her as a master would use a leash for a dog! None of them care for you! They hate you! You should hate them back!"

Something wasn't right. Davis knew he wasn't ranked very high in the brains department, but he trusted his feelings, and his feelings said that this was wrong. It was one thing for the others to hate him, he'd feared that from the day he'd heard them laughing. However, it was different for him to hate them. The voice was almost ordering him to hate the other Digidestined. Something was definitely wrong.

Davis had to strain to force the words out of his mouth, "…no…"

The voice sounded surprised, "What?"

Davis said with more confidence, "No. I don't hate the others. I can't hate the others." _Stand up, Davis. You have to stand up!_ He rose slowly. "Friendship isn't a lie! It's what gives me strength. I fight to protect the people I care about because they _are_ my friends. You're lying to me. The others may hate me, and they may not be my real friends, but I don't hate them. Hating is something that AeroVeedramon did, and look what happened to him! Besides, no one deserves what Ex-Piedmon wants to do to the others! Now, get out of my head and stop lying to me!" 

The voice gave a surprised gasp and then vanished. The darkness surrounding Davis cracked and shattered like glass to reveal the rock mass where Ex-Piedmon and Diamon had been fighting. Davis looked around in confusion as he tried to figure out what was going on. 

Ex-Piedmon was right in front of him, "It can't be! No one can resist my Deadly Gaze!"

"YES!" Diamon's armor began to glow white again and he stood up after being freed of the crushing weight. He was back to full power.

Davis figured out what had been happening. _Ex-Piedmon used me again!_ This had to end. "Diamon, finish him now!" 

Ex-Piedmon snapped, "I will not be defeated! CLOWN TRICK!" He formed a huge sphere of energy with both hands. He threw it at Diamon. The attack cut a trench in the ground without actually connecting.

Diamon held up his hands from within his shields. "Diamond Beam!" White light shot out of his hands and slammed right into Ex-Piedmon's attack. The Diamond Beam barely slowed down as it punched through and dispersed the attack and continued on towards Ex-Piedmon. The former Dark Master shrieked in fear as the beam burned through his chest and continued on past the new barrier and into the distance. Davis and the others watched as Ex-Piedmon's scream died and his body dissolved into a thousand tiny bits of data. The unbeatable Ex-Piedmon was finally dead. 

The Binding Rings around the other Digidestined crumbled away, as did the stone pillars behind the children.

Yolei laughed, "Davis! You did it!" Davis rubbed back of his head and put on a silly grin. Some things never changed. 

Diamon flashed white and reverted back to Veemon. The crystal was also starting to lose its glow. Suddenly, a loud rumble coursed through the ground.

"Now what?" Davis watched the ground begin to split. Cracks danced their way through the rock and began to upturn stones everywhere.

Cody said, "With Ex-Piedmon gone there's nothing to maintain this rock. If we don't leave now we'll be crushed by the destruction of this place."

TK looked up, "It gets worse!" The barrier supported by the crystal was beginning to fade. The Gate of Destiny's lightning pounded at the barrier, hungry to delete the children beneath it.

Davis took out his digiterminal and keyed in the program Gennai had given him. Within moments the red tear had reappeared and opened a way home. "Go through, quick!"

The others ran up to the portal. Kari looked at Davis, "What about you?"

Davis said, "I've got to be last because I'm maintaining the tear. Don't worry I'll be right behind you."

Cody shouted, "Kari, we have to go now!" He entered the rift. Yolei followed close behind. 

TK shuffled Kari through the portal, then Veemon. He turned to Davis, "You first, you're hurt. I can maintain the portal for a while."

Davis smiled, "Naw, I'm going to finish this my way. Go through, TK, like I said, I'll be right behind you."

TK couldn't reply, he was too surprised that Davis had gotten his name right. He simply nodded and jumped into the portal. Davis counted to three before putting the digiterminal in his pocket and running for the portal. 

Suddenly, the ground split at Davis' feet. Davis fell back and plummeted into a gap in the rocks. As he fell, the portal began to close. "I'm gonna DIE!" He sounded more angry than afraid.

********

Tai paced back and forth, "What's taking them so long?"

Joe said, "Tai, you have to calm down. Something might have happened. All we can do right now is trust that Davis will come through."

Tai sighed and grumbled, "I hate waiting…"

Suddenly a flash of red appeared out of nowhere. Several silhouettes could be seen running through the light. One figure emerged.

"CODY!" Upamon bounced up to his friend with tears in his eyes. He jumped into Cody's arms. "You're alright!" 

"Yolei!" Poromon flew to her partner. Sora and Mimi both hugged Yolei so hard she found it hard to breathe.

"KARI!" Tai squeezed the air out his sister's body while crying uncontrollably. Gatomon was doing the same thing. 

Kari hugged back, "Tai, Gatomon, I was worried I'd never see you again!"

Matt was having a similar reaction with TK. He was hugging his little brother and never wanted to let go again. Patamon was perched on TK's head, happy to have his friend back.

_Isn't anyone going to hug me?_ Veemon looked around at the group. It was just then that he noticed something. "Hey, where's Davis?"

Everyone looked around. Cody asked, "He hasn't come through yet?"

Kari was suddenly worried, "Maybe he was hurt more than we realized! We have to go back and get him!"

"You're right." TK moved towards the portal, but it was beginning to close.

"TK, no!" Matt grabbed his brother by the arm. "You can't go back now, the portal's closing!" 

"But Davis is still in there!" 

Matt said, "You have to trust in Davis. He'll find a way out of this! If you go back and are trapped with him, then everything he did was for nothing!"

Kari stepped up, "I don't care! I'm going to help Davis." Tai grabbed her arm. Kari tried to yank her arm free. "Tai, let go!"

Tai shook his head, "We have to wait!"

Kari struggled more. Tai found that he had to wrap both arms around his sister to keep her from running into the dying red light. Kari yelled, "Tai, let me go back! Davis is hurt he can't get out on his own! He needs us!"

TK shouted frantically, "Matt lemme go! Davis is gonna die!" 

Matt held on tighter, "I'm sorry, TK, but Davis wouldn't want you to go back!'

Mimi, Izzy, and Joe were busy restraining Cody and Yolei. Sora was faced with the task of holding Veemon back.

Veemon shouted, "I'm Davis' Digimon, where he goes, I go! Lemme go and help him! Please!"

Sora shook her head, "No, Veemon, Davis would want you to be safe!"

The rift became just a tiny thin line. Kari screamed, "NO! DAVIS!" The line disappeared. There was a horrible lonely silence, and then Kari fell to her knees and began to weep. Tai knelt down and hugged his sister while trying to console her. 

"Why, Tai? Why didn't you let me go back."

"Because Davis cares about you and he wouldn't want you placed in any danger."

"But Davis is gone now. It… It hurts."

Tai nodded with tears streaking down his face. "I know…"

TK wasn't faring any better than Kari. Matt was holding him, but the tears wouldn't stop coming. "I shouldn't have been such a jerk to him. I should have sent him through before me."

Matt shook his head, "Davis wanted to do this his way, and he knows that you consider him a friend."

TK shook his head, "No he doesn't. Piedmon made that clear. Davis isn't sure if I'm his friend or not!"

The others were supporting Cody and Yolei, but the older kids didn't feel any better than the newest Digidestined. Sora was having the hardest time with the frantic Veemon.

All of them kept crying, "Davis… Davis…"

********

The rocks were giving Davis a little cover from the Gate of Destiny's power, but they wouldn't last for long. Every bolt of lightning demolished one rock after another and turned it into tiny bits of data, which were then destroyed. They'd be upon Davis in no time. Davis had given up screaming as he fell, and was now just waiting for the inevitable. 

All that work, just to die in the end. "Man, what a burn!" Still, Davis was happy that he had saved the others, and that he was the only one going down. Veemon would be sad, but at least he'd be alive. The only thing that bothered Davis was that he'd never get the chance to talk to his family or the others again. _I had so much to talk to them about, so much to say. Now, I'll never get the chance. Should have said everything before I left._

A tiny glowing caught Davis' eye. The Digivolution Crystal was glowing with all the colors of the rainbow. Inside the crystal, Davis could see crests appearing. The crests of Knowledge, Reliability, Sincerity, Love, Hope, and Light were all shinning in the crystal's core. _Guys, are you calling me?_

There was one final flash of white. Davis lost sight of the world, and then his back his something hard. "Ow!" He winced at the sensation of reconnecting with terra firma. A cool wind blew across his face, and he no longer felt the energy of the Gate of Destiny around him. Davis opened his eyes. A beautiful dawn sky floated lazily above with shades of red, orange, and yellow. _So pretty…_Davis lay there, admiring the wonderful Earth sky.

"DAVIS!" At hearing his name called, Davis turned his head to one side. Veemon and the other Digidestined were running towards him with tears in their eyes and joyful expressions on their faces. Davis smiled, but didn't get up. He was too tired to do anything else but lay still. 

They had called him back. Somehow, the other Digidestined had called Davis back from across a dimension. As he lay there, waiting for the others to come and regaining his strength, one triumphant thought ran through Davis' head.

__

WE DID IT!

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Well, so much for Ex-Piedmon. Now that the villain has been dealt with, it's time for the conclusion. Walkabout comes full circle in Day 10 when Davis confronts the others about their laughing session behind his back, and the changes that he's gone through. 

Author's note: I had a really hard time trying to describe Diamon and Ex-Piedmon's true form. So, if you couldn't picture those two in your mind, e-mail me at TGC4860@aol.com, and I'll send you two character design drawings that I made. I think they were okay characters, considering they were my own creations. 


	10. Day 10

Walkabout

Day 10: New Beginning

by Silver

*My last Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, but I wouldn't mind if I did. All Digimon characters and creatures are property of Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei Animation, TM, and Bandai. I do own the characters of Diamon and Ex-Piedmon, since they're my creations.* 

Author's Note: Sigh… it's the end. This is the final chapter. I want to thank all the Digimon fans who read this story, and especially thank all the people who sent in reviews and encouragement. It's nice to have friends. 

By the way, I do know that Paildramon is the result of fusing XVmon with Stingmon in a Jogress Digivolution, but I had to change that rule in order to get Paildramon into my story, which is now a sort of alternate timeline to the actual show. Think of it as a fan fiction power trip.

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"Life is one big walkabout."

-Tim Curtis aka Silver

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Davis felt something bouncing on his belly. He groaned and tried to roll over, but the voice sounded too familiar to ignore. "Demiveemon, what did I say about letting me sleep in when I asked you to wake me up?" 

Demiveemon hopped down right next to Davis' face. "That I should ignore the part about waking you up and that I should let you sleep in."

Davis nodded lazily, "That's right. Now, let your partner go back to sleep." 

Demiveemon said, "But you were gonna meet the others today to tell them all about what happened on your walkabout! You need to get up and get dressed." Davis' mind replayed the events of the previous day. 

After his escape from the Gate of Destiny, the others had taken Davis to the nearest hospital. Strangely enough, Davis' wounds had almost completely healed. Izzy figured that it was a side effect of the Digivolution Crystal. Davis wasn't complaining. Hospitals creeped him out, and staying the night in one didn't appeal to him. He was too tired to explain to the others what had happened over the past week, and he didn't feel strong enough to confront them about Friday's laughing incident. 

Davis got up and made his way to the bath. He sat in the water, thinking about how he would talk to the others. _Should I even bother?_The others had called him back from death's grip, did he have the right to confront them now? Hadn't they already proved that they really were his friends? _But that's the entire reason I left, they'll want to know why I left!_ All this confusion, bring on Ex-Piedmon any day, at least with that freak Davis knew where he stood. 

Davis finished his bath and went back to get dressed. Demiveemon was busy playing with Davis' digiterminal. Davis finished dressing, ate, and returned to his room. Jun was awake and in the bath now. Davis' parents had gone to work. He couldn't say that came as a big shock. _I'll try and greet them at the door tonight._ No more listening to them come in while he was awake in bed! Tonight, he'd say hi to his parents for real.

__

Demiveemon called from his spot on Davis' dresser. "Davis, there's call for you!"

Davis walked over to the digiterminal and looked at the screen. "Gennai!" The old man's face was displayed on the d-terminal. 

Gennai said, "Good morning, Davis. I trust you slept well?"

Davis nodded, "I've got a lot to tell you." 

Gennai shook his head, "I contacted Izzy and Kari yesterday. They filled me in on everything. Thank you, Davis."

"For what?"

"For deleting Piedmon once and for all. I wouldn't be able to stand the idea that Iliad's killer was still out there somewhere. You've ended Piedmon's reign of terror for good."

Davis smiled, "Happy to do it. And now, I can go back to Meadow Town and tell ExTyranomon that Blossomon didn't really betray them. Ex-Piedmon was controlling Blossomon." That thought gave Davis a clam and released feeling. He would be able to prove his friend's innocence. 

Gennai's face became stern, "Davis, this isn't just a social call. I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you."

Davis wilted, "What now? I've had enough problems to last a lifetime."

"This isn't a problem, it's a warning. Don't let yourself rely on the crystal to solve all your problems. It's too unpredictable! The Digivolution Crystal reacts to the users' emotions. If you attempt to digivolve Veemon into Diamon after having a bad day or if you are in a fowl mood, the results could be disastrous. Don't forget, Ex-Piedmon tried to beat Diamon by using your emotions. The Digivolution Crystal is a last-ditch resort. Understood?"

Davis nodded, "I know. I'll only use the crystal when Magnamon doesn't have the power to beat the bad guy, and that doesn't happen much. But, one question, Diamon called himself 'The Strength of Will,' what does that mean?"

Gennai smiled, "Davis, if there's one thing I know about you, it's that you yourself have a very strong will. It's one of your most distinguishing characteristics. I imagine that the crystal needed something unique about you in order begin the crystal digivolution. Tai and Matt already have the powers of courage and friendship, you needed to use something that only you have to gain the crystal's power. That is why Diamon uses your strength of will."

Davis asked, "What about the others? If I used the crystal, then they can too, right?"

"Yes, they can. But that's not an easy task. Each child would have to exhibit a trait different from the previous Digidestined, otherwise it wouldn't be a unique trait."

"Hmm." Davis thought for a moment. All the others had unique traits, but Davis wasn't sure he could figure out which traits best described the others. 

Gennai said, "Besides, young Cody and Yolei aren't as mature as TK or Kari, so they might not be in the mental state needed to control the crystal's power."

Davis said, "Hey, I managed to control the crystal, I'm sure they can too!"  
Gennai smiled, "But you've become more mature over this past week. You're no longer as selfish or bull-headed as you used to be. I imagine you'll find that everyone is looking at you in a different light now."

Light? Kari! He was going to be late! "Gennai, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later!"

Gennai smiled, "Good-bye, Davis. I'll see you soon." His images flicked off screen. 

Davis put Demiveemon in his backpack and entered the hall. Jun was sitting in front of the TV now, watching her favorite hunks again. She turned her head to look at her little brother. "Hey, Davis, how was camping?" 

Davis could tell from her tone that she didn't buy his story. "It was great. I learned a lot of stuff."

"Learned? That doesn't sound like you." A comment like that would have once set Davis off, but he knew now that Jun was just teasing him.

Davis paused before heading for the door. "Hey, Jun?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Jun turned around again, "For what?"

Davis shrugged, "For… for being my sister. Well, I gotta go. See ya!" Davis grinned. The surprised look on Jun's face was priceless. 

Davis closed the door behind him, leaving a very stunned Jun behind. He ran down the steps and hopped onto the pavement. A shade of pink caught Davis' eye. "Kari?" The child of light was waiting for him on the sidewalk. She had her usual backpack on, and much larger backpack by her feet. Davis recognized it as the backpack he'd taken into the Digital World. He'd forgotten it when he came back to fight Ex-Piedmon. Tai's goggles were still in the backpack! If Tai found out that Davis had forgotten his goggles, Davis would probably end up wishing he was still fighting Ex-Piedmon!

Davis walked quickly to meet Kari. His heart was threatening to jump out of his chest. What was he going to say to her? 

Kari smiled as he walked up, "Hi. How are feeling?"

Davis tried to return the smile without looking goofy, "I'm fine now, thanks. Is… is that my backpack?"

Kari nodded, "Gennai sent it to Izzy last night. He said you forgot it."

Davis laughed nervously. _Don't tell her about the goggles!_ "Um, yeah, I guess I was too busy trying to get back to remember the thing that I had forgotten. Heh heh." Davis mentally kicked himself. He still sounded like an idiot around Kari. Why couldn't he be calmer around her? Kari held out the bag and Davis took it back to his house. He took the goggles out of the outside pocket and stuffed them in his other backpack. He tried to make sure Kari didn't see him with the goggles. He left his Digiworld backpack just inside the front door. 

Davis rejoined Kari and they started walking. They had walked a short distance before Davis tried to start up a conversation. "Thanks for bringing my backpack."

"Sure." That was Kari's only response. Davis fidgeted slightly. The silence was unbearable. Why wouldn't Kari talk to him. Was she mad? Or maybe she didn't really want to be with him after what had happened. _Should I tell her I'm sorry? But what if she's not made at me? Then she'd think that I thought she WAS mad at me, and then she would be mad at me for real! Maybe I should just be quiet. But then she'd think that I was thinking bad things about her!_ Davis took a deep breath. _Get a grip, Davis. You're not making any sense. Gennai once said that he confessed his feelings to Iliad all at once, will that work here? No…Kari would feel awkward if I did that. I should at least apologize for how I treat her and TK._

Davis made his decision. He turned his head to look at Kari. She was looking very pensive. To Davis' surprise, he and Kari spoke at once, "I need to talk to you." They both paused for a moment, then spoke in unison again, "I need to talk first." They both blinked, then laughed at the awkwardness of their "conversation."

Davis held up a hand, "I really, really need to say this first." Kari sighed and nodded. Davis took a deep breath. _Here goes. This is what Blossomon taught me_. "Kari, I'm sorry."

Kari blinked, "Sorry? For what?"

'For what' seemed to be the question of the day for Davis. He said, "I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you and TK. I've been acting like a big jerk, always following you guys around and shooting my mouth off. I've been an idiot."

The words started to come out of his mouth on their own power. "It's just that… that I miss you! We never do anything together anymore. We never eat lunch together, we never play soccer together, and you don't come to any of my soccer games. I feel like I'm not your friend anymore, just some guy you hang with when TK isn't around. But, that's no excuse for how I act around you. And it's no excuse for how I treat TK. I shouldn't be such a pest. I'm sorry. I want to be your friend, no matter what happens." 

Kari smiled at him. It was a warm caring smile. The kind of smile she'd given him the first day they met. She said, "I'm sorry too, Davis. I've been ignoring you. I know we used to do so much stuff together. It's just that I've known TK longer, so I feel a bit more comfortable around him. I guess I got caught up in the memories that we share, but they're not romantic memories like you worry about. He and I are best friends right now, nothing more." She actually hugged Davis. "I care about TK very much, but I also care about you. You're both very important friends to me, and I don't want to lose either of you." 

Davis smiled and nodded, "Well, I'll try and be a little more controlled from now on. And I'll try and stop arguing with TK."

Kari said, "Okay, and I'll try and pay more attention to you, because you really are a dear friend to me." She gave a slight shove to his side with her elbow, "But don't act too controlled. I think your wild side is a little… interesting."

Davis' face turned red, "INTERESTING? REALLY?" 

Kari giggled, "So much for control!" Davis' face reddened even more, but he laugh out of genuine humor. It felt so nice to have a normal moment with Kari for once. 

Kari stopped giggling and looked at the crystal hanging around Davis' neck. "That looks good on you. Really. But what about your goggles?"

Davis smiled, "I'm going to give them back to Tai. I don't need them anymore." 

Kari said, "Well then, I'd better not tell Tai that you left them in the Digital World!"

Davis' eyes bulged, "W-what? You knew?"

Kari just smiled sweetly, "Let's get going. We don't wanna be late!" 

********

The others were already assembled by the time Davis and Kari arrived. All eleven Digidestined were finally assembled. Davis' heart was doing another jumping number inside his chest. How was he going to get through this? Kari sat down next to Tai, and Demiveemon jumped out of Davis' backpack and sat next to the other Digimon. That left Davis sitting under the tree with the entire group looking at him. Why did he feel like was suddenly on trial?

Tai started the ball rolling. "Okay, Davis, first off… thanks."

"Thanks?"

Tai smiled, "You really came through for us with Piedmon. We would have lost everything if you hadn't gotten Veemon to Digivolve into Diamon."

TK nodded, "You did great!"

Yolei said, "You were wonderful!"

Cody said, "Thanks for saving us."

Davis shifted uncomfortably. Normally, he'd be happy with all the praise he was getting, but right now it only made it harder for him to say what he needed to say. 

Tai leaned forward. "Now, first question: Where are my goggles?"  
Davis blinked, "Huh?" Everyone started to chuckle. 

Tai growled, "I gave you my goggles, remember? You're not wearing them, where are they?" 

Davis reached into his backpack and took out the goggles. He risked a glance at Kari. She winked at him. Davis smiled and held out the item in question. "Thanks for giving me these, Tai. But I don't need them any more. You can have them back." Tai took the goggles with a look of utter bewilderment. In fact everyone had a look of surprise on their faces. Davis was actually giving Tai back his present! 

Davis tried to change the subject, "So, Tai, you gonna start wearing your goggles again?"

Tai said, "No. Not really."

Davis frowned, "Why not?"

Kari said, "Because Sora said she thought he looked better without them!"

Tai and Sora turned pure red, "KARI!" 

Everyone else in the group went, "Ohhh!" Neither Sora nor Tai tried to refute Kari's claim. Davis smiled, this was a welcome break. 

Cody was the first one to shift the focus back to Davis, "Davis, I know that you're not eager to talk about this, but I have to ask. Did you hear us in the computer on Friday of last week?"

Davis' smile vanished. He took a deep breath. "Yes… I heard you. You guys were laughing about all the stupid things I've done." He made a fist, "It hurt to hear you guys laughing about me. It's one thing to laugh about one of my stupid mistakes to my face, but to laugh behind my back… I was so angry! I thought I hated you guys! I thought that you weren't really my friends, because friends don't laugh behind your back."

TK lowered his head, "We're sorry, Davis. You're right. Friends don't laugh at each other behind their backs."

Kari said, "We betrayed your trust, and your friendship. We're really sorry."

Yolei said, "Yeah, we acted like jerks. Sorry, Davis."

Cody nodded, "I'm sorry too."

Davis shook his head, "No. It's not entirely your fault. I haven't been much of a friend either. I've been constantly trying to show off and prove how good I am, but all I've really been doing is competing with everyone else. I haven't been working with the team and I'm sorry for that. You guys were right, I was being arrogant over getting Veemon to digivolve into XVmon. But I'm going to stop. I'm not going to compete with anyone else."

Matt smiled, "That's good. I think the new Digidestined team became a lot stronger."

Joe asked, "So, Davis, you left for the Digital World for a little time to reflect, right?"

Davis nodded, "That's right. I went to Digiworld to try and improve myself so that everyone would respect me. Truth is, I never did find the answers I was looking for, I found different answers."

Sora smiled, "That often happens in life. I think you've grown a lot, Davis."

TK asked, "So, what happened in Digiworld? You were there for a whole week!" 

Davis said, "Now there's a long story." Davis began to recount everything that had happened since the day he had left. It took over two hours. He talked about getting knocked off a cliff by Darklizardmon and meeting Gennai. He told the others about Meadow Town and the unfortunate fate of Blossomon. He recounted meeting Leomon in the Rock Maze, and the battle that had resulted in XVmon's digivolution. Davis had wavered a little when he remembered the nightmare from Alraumon's Gloom Dust, but the others were supportive and understanding. Davis finally explained his search for the Digivolution Crystal, and the strength he had found from battling Okuwamon. By the end of his story telling, the others were completely wrapped in the tail.

Tai could only say, "Wow." 

Mimi had tears in her eyes, "I'm so glad Leomon was reborn."

Davis said, "He says hi to all of you. So does Gennai." 

TK said, "So, I guess you've had enough the Digital World, right?"

Davis said, "Actually, I'm going back next weekend."

"WHAT?" Everyone was astounded.

Cody asked, "Why do you want to go back so soon?"

Davis said, "I still have things to take care of. The Digimon at Meadow Town need to know that Blossomon didn't really betray them. And I promised Vee that I'd help him find his missing clan members. I'm not done yet."

Kari said, "We'll come with you next time."

TK nodded, "Yeah, we can help. And it'd be great to meet all the Digimon you helped."

Davis smiled, "I'd like that a lot. That just leaves one other thing." He took the Digivolution Crystal off from around his neck and held it out to the group. "It's up for grabs."

Yolei frowned, "You're not keeping it?"

Davis shook his head, "I'm still not the most stable of people. I don't know if I'm ready for this thing. It might be better if TK or Kari took it."

TK held up a hand, "Hey, I don't want it. I'm not the one who got Veemon to crystal digivolve." 

Kari nodded, "Yeah. Keep it, Davis. You earned it. Besides, you need something new since you don't have your goggles anymore."

Tai corrected, "MY goggles." 

Kari gave him a sly look, "That you won't wear because Sora won't like the look."

Tai grumbled, "I liked it better when you talk out of a whistle." 

Cody said, "I think that settles it. You keep the crystal, Davis, you deserve it."

Davis slipped it back around his neck. "You know, any one of us can use this thing. All it takes is focus."

"Cool!" Yolei looked at Poromon. "I wouldn't mind seeing what kind of Crystal Digimon you turn into."

Poromon said, "I don't know what I'd be, but I bet I'd be cool."

Upamon bounced up and down, "Me too! Me too!"

Joe said, "We can worry about all that later."

TK said, "Yeah, why don't we all go have some ice cream? We were too busy worrying about Davis to have ice cream on Thursday, like we originally planned."

Demiveemon began to jump up and down. "Yea! Ewey Gooey Chocolate Swirl! Ewey Gooey Chocolate Swirl! Ewey Gooey Chocolate Swirl!" He continued to chant on. Pretty soon Poromon and Upamon joined in.

Davis face fell, "You're still going on about that?"

Demiveemon said, "You promised!"

"That was a full week ago! What happened to, 'I'm your Digimon, where you go I go?'"

Demiveemon smiled, "You're going to the ice cream store, right? Where you go, I go! And you promised that you'd buy me as much ice cream as I wanted if I went on walkabout with you!"

Davis sighed, "I did." He placed a hand on his head, "Maybe I should get an advance on my allowance for the next five years. I have a feeling I'm gonna need it." The others laughed.

Tai said, "I'll buy for you. It's the least I can do. Let's get going!" Everyone got up and started to head for the nearest ice cream parlor. 

Davis couldn't stop smiling. He felt so relieved to have everything off his chest, and he felt like his friendship with the others had grown stronger. The future was looking a lot brighter for Davis. This was a new start for him.

__

I should have gone on walkabout a long time ago.

****

The End of Walkabout, the Beginning of Everything Else.

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Author's final note: I'm thinking of writing some spin-offs of Walkabout in which each of the Digidestined gets a Crystal Digimon. What do you think? Should I pursue this idea, or should I move on to other things? Please review and let me know! 


End file.
